N1 Grammar · Test 36

受け入れる（うけいれる）means 'to accept.' The sentence means 'As you get older, it gradually becomes harder to accept new ways of thinking.' 受け入れにくい (hard to accept) is the natural collocation with 新しい考え方 (new ideas).

• 1請け合う（うけあう）means 'to guarantee, to take responsibility for.' 考え方を請け合う doesn't make sense—you don't 'guarantee' a way of thinking.
• 3受け取る（うけとる）means 'to receive' (a physical object or a message). While you can 受け取る a message, 考え方を受け取る is not a natural collocation for 'accepting ideas.'
• 4受け持つ（うけもつ）means 'to be in charge of / to take charge of' (a class, a section, a role). 考え方を受け持つ is nonsensical.

• 受け入れる（うけいれる） — to accept, to receive (ideas, people, etc.)
• 請け合う（うけあう） — to guarantee, to take responsibility for
• 受け取る（うけとる） — to receive, to accept (a thing)
• 受け持つ（うけもつ） — to be in charge of, to take charge of

唱える（となえる）means 'to advocate, to propose, to put forward (a theory, doctrine, etc.).' The sentence means 'It was 20 years ago that the doctor advocated a theory that overturned the conventional wisdom of the time.' 説を唱える (to advocate a theory) is a standard collocation.

• 1叶える（かなえる）means 'to make (a wish/dream) come true, to grant.' You don't 叶える a 説 (theory)—you make wishes or dreams come true.
• 2構える（かまえる）means 'to set up, to assume a posture, to prepare.' 説を構える is not a meaningful collocation.
• 4捉える（とらえる）means 'to catch, to seize, to grasp (a concept).' While you can 捉える a concept, you don't 捉える a 説 in the sense of advocating or proposing it.

• 唱となえる — to advocate, to propose (a theory/idea)
• 叶かなえる — to make come true, to grant (a wish)
• 構かまえる — to set up, to assume a posture
• 捉とらえる — to catch, to seize, to grasp

口が堅い（くちがかたい）is a fixed idiom meaning 'tight-lipped, discreet, good at keeping secrets.' The sentence means 'That person is tight-lipped, so they won't let secrets slip.' This is the correct set phrase.

• 1口が重い（くちがおもい）is an idiom meaning 'to be taciturn, to speak very little.' While related to speech, it means someone doesn't talk much in general—it doesn't specifically mean they keep secrets.
• 3口が厳しい（くちがきつい）is not a standard idiom. きつい can mean 'strict, tight, harsh,' but 口がきつい is not the established expression for being discreet about secrets.
• 4口が強い（くちがつよい）is not a standard Japanese idiom. 強い means 'strong,' but this collocation doesn't carry the meaning of keeping secrets.

• 口が堅い（くちがかたい） — tight-lipped, discreet, good at keeping secrets
• 口が重い（くちがおもい） — taciturn, speaking very little

きっぱりと means 'firmly, clearly, flatly.' The sentence says 'I asked them to give favorable testimony, but I was flatly refused (きっぱりとことわられた).' きっぱりと is the standard adverb for a clear, unambiguous refusal.

• 1がっくりと means 'dejectedly, with a slump.' It describes one's own disappointment, not the manner of a refusal. While the speaker might feel がっくりと after being refused, it does not modify ことわられた naturally.
• 2きっかりと means 'exactly, precisely' (e.g., きっかりと３時). It does not collocate with ことわられる.
• 4くっきりと means 'clearly, distinctly' in a visual sense (e.g., a clearly visible outline). It is not used for the manner of refusing.

• きっぱりと — firmly, flatly, clearly (manner of stating/refusing)
• がっくりと — dejectedly, with a slump
• きっかりと — exactly, precisely
• くっきりと — clearly, distinctly (visual)
• 証言しょうげん — testimony
• ことわる — to refuse, to decline

ゆとり means 'leeway, margin, spare time/energy.' The sentence says 'I can barely manage my own work, so I have no leeway (ゆとり) to help others.' ゆとりがない is a common set phrase for 'having no room/spare capacity to do something extra.'

• 1たるみ means 'slackness, looseness' (e.g., skin or lack of tension). It does not fit the context of being too busy to help.
• 2なさけ means 'compassion, sympathy.' While helping others relates to compassion, なさけがない means 'heartless/cold,' which doesn't match 'too busy to help.'
• 3のぞみ means 'hope, wish.' のぞみがない means 'there is no hope,' which is too dramatic and doesn't fit the nuance of lacking capacity.

• ゆとり — leeway, margin, spare time/energy
• たるみ — slackness, looseness
• なさけ — compassion, sympathy
• のぞみ — hope, wish
• やっと — barely, with difficulty
• 手助てだすけ — help, assistance

The correct answer is 2. ゆるめて (緩めて) means 'to slow down' or 'to loosen.' The phrase スピードをゆるめる (slow down one's speed) is a standard collocation. The sentence says: 'Children were playing on the road, so I slowed down the car and passed by.'

• 1へらして (減らして) means 'to reduce' or 'to decrease (in quantity/amount).' While it can be used with speed, スピードをゆるめる is the more natural and idiomatic expression for easing off speed. へらす focuses on reducing a quantity rather than easing speed.
• 3よわめて (弱めて) means 'to weaken.' It is used for things like influence, power, or physical strength (e.g., 影響力を弱める), not for slowing down a vehicle's speed.
• 4なくして (無くして) means 'to lose' (something). It makes no sense in the context of adjusting a car's speed.

• ゆるめて（緩めて） — slowing down, loosening (from 緩める)
• へらして（減らして） — reducing, decreasing (from 減らす)
• よわめて（弱めて） — weakening (from 弱める)
• なくして（無くして） — losing (from 無くす)

The correct answer is 4. 円満に (えんまんに) means 'amicably' or 'harmoniously.' The phrase 話し合いは円満に終わった (the discussion ended amicably) is a natural collocation, meaning the talks concluded without conflict and on good terms.

• 1健全に (けんぜんに) means 'soundly' or 'healthily,' used for things like 健全な社会 (a sound society) or 健全な精神 (a healthy mind). It is not used to describe how a discussion concluded.
• 2寛容に (かんように) means 'tolerantly' or 'with generosity,' describing an attitude of accepting others. While related to interpersonal relations, it is not the standard word for how a discussion ended.
• 3精巧に (せいこうに) means 'with precision' or 'exquisitely,' used for craftsmanship or mechanical precision (e.g., 精巧な機械). It is completely unrelated to how a discussion concluded.

• 円満えんまんに — amicably, harmoniously
• 健全けんぜんに — soundly, healthily
• 寛容かんように — tolerantly, generously
• 精巧せいこうに — precisely, exquisitely

The correct answer is 1. エレガントな means 'elegant.' The sentence says: 'Hayashi-san always wears elegant clothes, so she is the object of everyone's admiration.' エレガントな洋服 (elegant clothing) fits perfectly with being everyone's object of admiration (あこがれの的).

• 2コントロールな means 'control.' This is not a な-adjective used to describe clothing or appearance. It is a noun used for managing or regulating something.
• 3ナンセンスな means 'nonsensical' or 'absurd.' Wearing nonsensical clothing would not make someone an object of admiration.
• 4プラスチックな means 'plastic.' This describes a material and is not used to describe clothing style in a way that would make someone admired.

• エレガントな（えれがんとな） — elegant
• コントロールな（こんとろーるな） — control (not typically used as な-adjective)
• ナンセンスな（なんせんすな） — nonsensical, absurd
• プラスチックな（ぷらすちっくな） — plastic

The correct answer is 2. ねった is the past form of 練る（ねる）, meaning 'to work out / devise (a plan or strategy).' The phrase 作戦を練る is a common collocation meaning 'to carefully work out a strategy.' The sentence means: 'To make sure the plan goes well, everyone worked out a strategy together.'

• 1こめた (込めた, from 込める) means 'to put into / include / pack.' You might say 気持ちを込める (put feeling into something), but 作戦を込める is not a valid collocation.
• 3ほどこした (施した, from 施す ほどこす) means 'to bestow / confer / do (a favor).' It does not collocate with 作戦.
• 4あつらえた (誂えた, from 誂える あつらえる) means 'to order / have something tailor-made (e.g., clothes).' It does not fit 作戦.

• 作戦を練る（さくせんをねる） — to carefully work out a strategy
• 込こめる — to put into, to include
• 施ほどこす — to bestow, to confer
• 誂あつらえる — to order, to have tailor-made

The correct answer is 3. 圧倒（あっとう）means 'to overwhelm.' The passive form 圧倒される means 'to be overwhelmed (by someone's force/presence).' 迫力に圧倒される is a natural collocation: 'overwhelmed by someone's intensity/force.' The sentence means: 'I was overwhelmed by Komatsu-san's intensity and ended up agreeing without thinking.'

• 1抑圧（よくあつ）means 'suppression / oppression.' It is a noun used for suppressing emotions or desires, and does not take される in this context of being overwhelmed by someone's presence.
• 2重圧（じゅうあつ）means 'heavy pressure / burden.' It is a noun referring to psychological pressure, not a verb that takes される to mean 'overwhelmed.'
• 4圧縮（あっしゅく）means 'compression.' It is used for compressing data, files, or physical objects, and is unrelated to being overwhelmed.

• 迫力はくりょく — force, intensity, impact
• 圧倒あっとうする — to overwhelm
• 抑圧よくあつ — suppression, oppression
• 重圧じゅうあつ — heavy pressure, burden
• 圧縮あっしゅく — compression