N1 Grammar · Test 39

The correct answer is 2 (あまり). The correct sentence is: ひと通り読むことは読んだが、あまり理解できたとは言えない。This means: 'I did read through it, but I can't say I understood it very well.' The word あまり (not very much) modifies the clause 理解できたとは言えない (can't say I understood), expressing that the level of understanding was low. The structure 読んだが (I read it, but) connects the two clauses, showing concession.

• 1「が」is already placed in position 1 (the second slot). It cannot be the answer for ★.
• 3「読んだ」is already placed in position 3 (the first slot). It cannot be the answer for ★.
• 4「理解できた」is already placed in position 4 (the last slot). It cannot be the answer for ★.

• ひと通り（ひととおり） — roughly; approximately; one pass through
• 〜とは言えない（〜とはいえない） — cannot say that ~
• あまり — not very much (when used with negative); excessively

The correct answer is 2 (くらい). The correct sentence is: 食事をするのも時間が惜しいくらい忙しい一日だった。This means: 'It was a day so busy that even eating felt like a waste of time.' The structure is: (clause) + くらい + (adjective), meaning 'so (adjective) that (clause) is the extent.' Here, のも時間が惜しい (even (eating) feels like a waste of time) + くらい (to the extent that) + 忙しい (busy) = 'so busy that even eating feels like a waste of time.'

• 1「のも」is already placed in position 1 (the first slot). It cannot be the answer for ★.
• 3「忙しい」is already placed in position 3 (the last slot). It cannot be the answer for ★.
• 4「時間が惜しい」is already placed in position 4 (the second slot). It cannot be the answer for ★.

• 〜くらい — to the extent that ~; so [adjective] that ~
• 時間が惜しい（じかんがおしい） — time is precious/too valuable to waste
• 予定が詰まっている（よていがつまっている） — schedule is packed/full

The correct order is: 自分のことについてならともかく、家族や友人を悪く言われるのは我慢できない。 'If it's about myself, I can let it go, but I can't stand it when my family and friends are bad-mouthed.' ともかく here means 'setting aside / leaving aside,' used with 〜なら to say 'if it's X, that's one thing (I can tolerate it), but...' The structure 自分のことについてならともかく contrasts with the second clause about family and friends.

• 1について is needed in position 1, not where ★ is. It combines with なら to form についてなら ('if it's about~').
• 3なら is needed in position 3, forming についてなら ('if it's about~').
• 4家族や友人を悪く言われる belongs in position 4 as the subject of the second clause: 'family and friends being bad-mouthed.'

• ともかく — setting aside, leaving aside (used as 〜ならともかく to mean 'if it's ~, that's one thing / I can tolerate it, but...')
• 我慢がまんできる — can endure, can tolerate

The correct order is: 食に関して、これだけは譲れないという何かしらのこだわりを持つことは誰にでもあると思う。 'Regarding food, I think everyone has some kind of conviction they won't compromise on.' The phrase これだけは譲れないという何かしらのこだわり ('some kind of conviction that one absolutely won't yield on') modifies 持つこと, and こだわりを is the object of 持つ.

• 2持つことは belongs in position 2; it is the verb phrase that takes こだわりを as its object.
• 3譲れないという belongs in position 3, modifying こだわり to mean 'something one cannot compromise on.'
• 4何かしらの belongs in position 4, modifying こだわり to mean 'some kind of.'

• こだわり — conviction, insistence, particular preference (from こだわる, to be particular about)
• 譲ゆずれない — cannot yield, cannot compromise
• 何なにかしら — some kind of, something or other

The correct order is: 人気のランニングシューズが欲しくてスポーツショップを数軒回って探したが、売り切れているか残っていてもサイズが合うのがなかったりで、結局買えなかった。 'I wanted popular running shoes and searched through several sports shops, but they were either sold out or even if some remained, the right size wasn't available, so in the end I couldn't buy them.' 残っていても ('even if they remained') connects with サイズが合うのがなかったりで to express the two possible negative outcomes: sold out, or remaining but wrong size.

• 2売り切れているか belongs in position 2, paired with the 〜か structure meaning 'either sold out or...'
• 3サイズが合うのがなかったりで belongs in position 3, describing the second negative possibility: 'no suitable size available.'
• 4スポーツショップを数軒回って探したが belongs in position 4, setting up the context of searching multiple shops.

• 売り切れ（うりきれ） — sold out
• 数軒すうけん — several shops/stores (counter for shops)
• 残のこる — to remain, to be left

Option 2「誰かしら」is correct and goes in the ★ (third) position. The full sentence is: 一人で[3.行っても][★2.誰かしら][4.友達に会うので]、約束して一緒に行く必要もないからだ。'Even if I go alone, I'll meet some friend or another, so there's no need to make plans to go together.'「誰かしら」means 'someone or other; some person or another' and implies that one will inevitably encounter someone without planning. It fits perfectly between「行っても」and「友達に会うので」.

• 1「誰かと」means 'with someone'. If placed in the sentence, it would read「一人で誰かと行っても」('even if I go with someone'), which contradicts the opening「一人で行くときはいつも一人だ」.
• 3「行っても」is needed in the first blank (一人で行っても = 'even if I go alone'), not in the ★ position.
• 4「友達に会うので」is needed in the fourth blank (友達に会うので = 'because I'll meet a friend'), not in the ★ position.

• 誰だれかしら — someone or other; some person or another (implies inevitably meeting someone)
• 約束やくそくする — to make plans/a promise (to meet, go together, etc.)

Option 3「かまわない」is correct and goes in the ★ (third) position. The full sentence is: そんなこと[2.どうだって][★3.かまわない][1.とか][4.本心とは違うことを]言ってしまう。'I end up saying things contrary to my true feelings, like "I don't care how it goes."' The phrase「どうだってかまわない」means 'I don't care either way', and「とか」quotes it as an example of what the speaker says, followed by「本心とは違うことを言ってしまう」(ends up saying something different from one's true feelings).

• 1「とか」is needed in the fourth blank to quote/paraphrase the preceding statement「どうだってかまわない」as an example, not in the ★ position.
• 2「どうだって」is needed in the first blank, forming the set phrase「どうだってかまわない」(I don't care either way), not in the ★ position.
• 4「本心とは違うことを」is needed in the fifth/final blank, completing「本心とは違うことを言ってしまう」(end up saying something contrary to one's true feelings), not in the ★ position.

• どうだってかまわない — I don't care either way; it doesn't matter to me
• 本心ほんしん — true feelings; real intention
• 〜とか — saying things like ~; such as ~ (quoting/paraphrasing what one says)
• 売れ行き（うれゆき） — sales (performance); how well something sells

The correct order is: 情報が正しい か否か だけでなく ★いつのデータかを 確認すること も重要である。'Not only whether the information is correct, but also confirming when the data is from is important.' The structure is 「Aか否かだけでなく、Bも…」(not only whether A, but also B). The ★ falls in the third position, which is option 3 (いつのデータかを). This connects to 確認すること to form the noun phrase いつのデータかを確認すること (confirming when the data is from), which is the subject marked by も重要である.

• 1か否か belongs in the first blank right after 情報が正しい, forming 情報が正しいか否か (whether the information is correct). It cannot go in the ★ position.
• 2確認すること belongs in the fourth (last) blank, forming いつのデータかを確認すること (the act of confirming when the data is from). Placing it at ★ would break the sentence structure.
• 4だけでなく belongs in the second blank, connecting か否か with the following clause: 正しいか否かだけでなく (not only whether it is correct, but also…). It cannot occupy the ★ position.

• か否か（かいなか） — whether or not
• 〜だけでなく — not only… (but also)
• 確認かくにん — confirmation, checking

The correct order is: 部屋が汚いことを 親に注意されて これ以上 ★きれいにしようがないくらい きれいにしたつもりだったが 、まだ汚いと言われた。'Being warned by my parents that my room was dirty, I tried to clean it to the point where I couldn't clean it any further, but I was still told it was dirty.' The ★ is in the third position = option 4 (きれいにしようがないくらい). This modifies きれいにしたつもりだったが, expressing the degree to which the speaker attempted to clean: 'to the extent that there was no way to clean it any more.'

• 1これ以上 belongs in the second blank, pairing with きれいにしようがないくらい to form これ以上きれいにしようがないくらい (to the point where it can't be cleaned any further). It cannot go at ★.
• 2親に注意されて belongs in the first blank, providing the context: 'being warned by my parents about the room being dirty.' It cannot go at ★.
• 3きれいにしたつもりだったが belongs in the fourth (last) blank before the comma, expressing 'I thought I had cleaned it, but…' It cannot go at ★.

• 注意ちゅういされる — to be warned/scolded
• 〜つもりだったが — I intended to… / I thought I had…, but
• 〜ようがない — there is no way to…
• これ以上（これいじょう） — any more than this, beyond this

The correct order is: 景気が回復してきている と実感できる までに至らない ★企業もまだ多い というのが 現状である。'The current situation is that there are still many companies that have not reached the point where they can actually feel the economy is recovering.' The ★ is in the third position = option 1 (企業もまだ多い). The structure is: [景気が回復してきていると実感できる]までに至らない modifies 企業, meaning 'companies that have not reached the point of being able to feel the recovery.' Then というのが現状である wraps the whole thing: 'that is the current situation.'

• 2までに至らない belongs in the second blank, connecting と実感できる with 企業: と実感できるまでに至らない企業 (companies that haven't reached the point of feeling it). It cannot go at ★.
• 3と実感できる belongs in the first blank, completing 景気が回復してきていると実感できる (can actually feel that the economy is recovering). It cannot go at ★.
• 4というのが belongs in the fourth (last) blank, forming というのが現状である (that is the current situation). It cannot go at ★.

• 実感じっかん — actual feeling, real sense of
• 〜までに至らない（〜までにいたらない） — has not reached the point of…
• 現状げんじょう — current situation