N1 Grammar · Test 38

The correct answer is 4 「ところ」. The pattern V-た形 + ところで means 'even if one does X, it is useless / won't change anything.' Here, 後悔してみたところで means 'even if I try to regret it (it won't help).' The sentence means: 'Even if I regret, thinking

• 1「〜ので」would need to follow a plain form, but ので means 'because,' which does not fit the concessive 'even if' meaning needed here.
• 2「〜もので」can mean 'because' or 'as a matter of fact,' but does not convey 'even if one tries ~, it's no use.'
• 3「〜ことで」means 'by means of / through doing,' which does not express the concessive nuance of 'even if.'

• 〜たところで — even if one does X, it is useless / won't change anything (V-ta + ところで, concessive)
• 後悔こうかいする — to regret
• 今更いまさら — at this late stage; now (when it's too late)

The correct answer is 2 「あったが」. The pattern V-た形 + が最後 means 'once X happens, there is no going back / inevitably.' Here, 目があったが最後 means 'once your eyes meet (hers), at minimum 30 minutes (she won't let you go).' The sentence describes a talkative person who, once she makes eye contact with you, traps you in conversation for at least 30 minutes.

• 1「あったの」— のが最後 is not a valid form of this pattern. The pattern requires V-た形 + が directly, with no の in between.
• 3「あうのに」— two problems: (a) あう is the dictionary form, not the た形 required; (b) のに means 'even though,' which does not fit the 'once X happens, inevitably...' pattern.
• 4「あったから」— から最後 is not the correct pattern. The fixed expression is V-た + が最後, where が is the subject particle, not から.

• 〜が最後（〜がさいご） — once X happens, there's no going back; once X happens, inevitably... (V-ta + が最後)
• 話好はなしずき — talkative person; someone who loves to talk
• 放はなす — to let go; to release (here: to let someone go from a conversation)

The correct answer is 2 「こと」. The pattern V-辞書形 + ことなしに means 'without doing X.' Here, 他人を犠牲にすることなしに means 'without sacrificing others.' The sentence means: 'Some people believe that achieving one's personal desires without sacrificing others is difficult.'

• 1「のなしに」is not a valid grammar pattern. The correct form requires こと before なしに.
• 3「ものなしに」is not a valid pattern. もの does not combine with なしに in this way.
• 4「ところなしに」is not a valid pattern. ところ does not combine with なしに to mean 'without doing X.'

• 〜ことなしに — without doing X (V-dict + ことなしに, formal written expression)
• 犠牲ぎせいにする — to sacrifice
• 達成たっせいする — to achieve, to accomplish

The correct answer is 3 「なら」. The pattern 「XもXならYもYだ」 means 'X is bad and Y is equally bad' — a critical way of saying both parties share the same negative quality. Here, both the father (drinking and rampaging daily) and the son (not working, addicted to gambling) are equally irresponsible, so the sentence means 'Like father, like son (and not in a good way).' The structure requires なら after the first noun to parallel the second.

• 1「と」does not form the XもXならYもYだ pattern. 「父も父と子も子だ」is grammatically meaningless here.
• 2「では」does not create the parallel structure needed. 「父も父では子も子だ」is not an established idiom.
• 4「にして」means 'being' or 'at (a certain age/time),' and does not form this idiomatic pattern. 「父も父にして子も子だ」is not a recognized construction.

• 父も父なら子も子だ（ちちもちちならこもこだ） — Like father, like son (used critically: both are equally bad/irresponsible)
• 暴あばれる — to rampage, to act violently
• 賭け事（かけごと） — gambling
• 夢中むちゅうになる — to be absorbed in, to be addicted to

The correct answer is 4 「思いきや」. The pattern 「〜と思いきや」 means 'just when I thought ~, (but actually...)' and expresses that reality turned out contrary to one's expectation. Here, the speaker was told 'I'll think about it (考えてみます)' and took it as agreement/approval, but in fact it was a polite refusal. The きや introduces the unexpected reversal.

• 1「思いゆえ」would mean 'because I thought,' giving a causal relationship. The sentence needs a contrastive 'I thought X, but actually Y,' not a reason.
• 2「思っても」means 'even if I thought,' which doesn't fit. The speaker actually did think it was approved — it's not a hypothetical condition.
• 3「思ったり」is part of the 〜たり〜たりする pattern (doing this and that), which doesn't express the needed contrast between expectation and reality.

• 思おもいきや — just when one thought ~ (but contrary to expectation)
• 了承りょうしょう — approval, consent, acceptance
• お断りします（おことわりします） — I politely decline / refuse (humble/polite form)

Option 3 (なんて) is correct. なんて is a colloquial quoting/listing particle meaning 'such a thing as ~' or 'something like ~,' often carrying a nuance of surprise, belittlement, or emotional distance. 「愛してる」なんて言葉 = 'a word like "I love you"' — the speaker implies that such a phrase is somehow special or hard to say, fitting the sentence: 'Japanese people have a hard time saying a phrase like "I love you."' なんて directly modifies the noun 言葉.

• 1なんか is similar to なんて in meaning ('things like ~') but is more strongly colloquial/vulgar and typically does not modify a following noun as smoothly in this sentence pattern. なんて is the more natural and standard choice for this written-style sentence.
• 2などを is the object particle form and would require a verb taking を, but here 言葉 is the subject (は) of 言えません, not an object. The grammatical role is wrong.
• 4などが marks the subject with が, but the sentence already has は marking 言葉 as the topic/subject. Using などが would create a conflicting subject marker, and the sentence structure calls for a modifier of 言葉, not a separate subject particle.

• なんて — such a thing as ~ / something like ~ (colloquial, with nuance of surprise or belittlement)
• なかなか — with difficulty / not easily (used with negative)

Option 4 (において) is correct. において means 'in/at/on' in a formal written style, indicating the location or context where an event takes place. この競技場において = 'at this sports arena.' The sentence reads: 'In 1988, at this sports arena, the World Table Tennis Championships were held.' において is the appropriate formal expression for specifying a venue of an event.

• 1につれて means 'as ~' or 'along with ~' (indicating gradual change proportional to something), e.g., 時間がたつにつれて. A location cannot be followed by につれて.
• 2について means 'about/regarding ~' and is used for topics of discussion or consideration, not for specifying a physical location where an event is held.
• 3に反して means 'contrary to ~ / against ~' and expresses opposition or going against expectations. A sports arena cannot be 'contrary to' anything here.

• において — in / at (formal; indicates place or context of an event)
• につれて — as ~ / along with ~ (gradual proportional change)
• について — about / regarding
• に反して（にはんして） — contrary to / against
• 競技場きょうぎじょう — sports arena / stadium
• 開催かいさい — holding (of an event) / hosting

を問わず means 'regardless of' or 'irrespective of.' The sentence states that admiration for beautiful things has existed in every era, regardless of East and West (洋の東西を問わず). This is a classic N1 grammar pattern used to say that some condition applies without regard to a particular distinction.

• 1に対して means 'towards' or 'in contrast to.' 洋の東西に対して would mean 'towards/in contrast to East and West of the world,' which does not convey 'regardless of' and makes no sense here.
• 2までもなく means 'without even needing to ~.' 洋の東西までもなく is ungrammatical and nonsensical in this context.
• 4からして means 'even judging from ~' or 'starting with ~,' used to emphasize an example. 洋の東西からして would imply 'even judging from East and West,' which does not fit the meaning of 'regardless of.'

• 洋の東西（ようのとうざい） — East and West (of the world)
• 憧あこがれ — admiration, longing
• を問わず（をとわず） — regardless of, irrespective of

とすれば means 'if we assume that ~' or 'if ~.' The sentence reads: 'If there is something unique to Japanese culture, it is something that Japanese history has created.' The first clause sets up a conditional premise, and the second clause states the conclusion, making とすれば the correct choice.

• 2につけ means 'whenever ~' or 'every time ~,' often used with emotional or situational triggers (e.g., 见るにつけ). 日本の文化に独自なものがあるにつけ does not form a grammatical or meaningful sentence here.
• 3ことから means 'from the fact that ~' or 'because ~,' indicating a reason/basis. While it could connect two clauses, the second clause (それは日本の歴史が作ったものである) is a conclusion drawn from a hypothetical, not a factual explanation. ことから would imply the uniqueness is an established fact used as evidence, which doesn't match the hypothetical tone.
• 4反面 means 'on the other hand' or 'while ~,' used to express contrasting aspects of the same subject. There is no contrast being expressed here; the two clauses are in a conditional-conclusion relationship.

• 独自どじ — unique, original
• とすれば — if we assume that, if

どころじゃありません (short for どころではない) is a pattern meaning 'far from ~' or 'it's not even ~.' The response says: 'No, expenses are too high — it's not even profitable (もうかるどころじゃありませんよ).' This conveys that not only is it not profitable, but the situation is actually the opposite. This is a very common N1-level expression for strong denial.

• 1はず means 'should be / expected to be.' もうかるはずじゃありません would mean 'it shouldn't be profitable,' which is grammatically awkward and doesn't convey the nuance of 'far from being profitable.' The speaker is denying that it IS profitable, not saying it shouldn't be.
• 2あまり means 'too much' or 'as a result of ~ing too much.' もうかるあまりじゃありません is ungrammatical and meaningless in this context.
• 4べき means 'should (ought to).' もうかるべきじゃありません would mean 'it shouldn't be profitable (morally/normatively),' which completely misses the speaker's intent of denying the factual profitability.

• もうかる — to be profitable, to make money
• 経費けいひ — expenses, costs
• どころではない — far from ~, it's not even ~ (used for strong denial)