N1 Grammar · Test 4

The correct answer is 1 (を). The fixed expression is 「〜を余儀なくされる」, meaning 'to be forced/compelled to do something against one's will.' Here, the sentence means: 'Due to the recession, many companies are being forced to scale back, postpone, or even withdraw from their businesses.' The particle を marks the action that one is compelled to take (事業の縮小や延期…撤退), and 余儀なくされる is the passive form of 余儀なくする ('to leave no other choice').

• 2で cannot be used here. 〜で余儀なくされる is not a valid construction; the object of the compelled action must be marked by を.
• 3と cannot be used here. 〜と余儀なくされる is not a valid pattern.
• 4に cannot be used here. While に余儀なくされる might look plausible (since に often appears in passive constructions), the correct idiom requires を to mark the action one is forced into.

• 余儀よぎなくされる — to be forced/compelled to do something (against one's will); to have no choice but to do something
• 撤退てったい — withdrawal (from a business, market, etc.)
• 縮小しゅくしょう — reduction, scaling down
• 不況ふきょう — recession, economic slump

The correct answer is 1 (そう). Here, そう is used as an adverb meaning 'so' or 'that (much),' modifying 簡単には. The sentence means: 'Once a habit has formed, it is not so easily corrected.' そう簡単には直らない = 'not that easily fixed.' This is a natural and grammatically correct usage.

• 2たとえ ('even if') requires a concessive pattern with 〜ても. There is no ても in the sentence, so たとえ simpleには直らない is grammatically incomplete and unnatural.
• 3そのうち means 'eventually' or 'before long.' It does not fit here: 'Once a habit forms, it won't be fixed eventually' is both unnatural and semantically wrong.
• 4いったい means 'on earth' or 'in the world,' used in questions for emphasis. It does not fit a declarative sentence like this one.

• そう（副詞） — so; that (much); to that degree (used to modify adjectives/adverbs)
• 癖くせ — habit
• たとえ — even if (requires 〜ても)
• そのうち — eventually; before long
• いったい — on earth; in the world (used in questions)

The correct answer is 2 (を控えて). 「〜を控えて」means 'with ~ approaching/just around the corner' or 'just before ~.' The sentence means: 'With university entrance exams half a year away, idol Nishida Aki is currently suspending her activities.' This pattern indicates that an event is imminent or approaching, which fits perfectly.

• 1を基にして means 'based on ~.' 'Based on university entrance exams' does not make sense in this context.
• 3をもって means 'by means of ~' or 'as of ~ (a date/time).' It does not convey the idea of an approaching event.
• 4をめぐって means 'regarding/concerning ~' or 'surrounding ~,' used for disputes or discussions about a topic. It does not fit here.

• 〜を控えて（〜をひかえて） — with ~ approaching; just before ~; with ~ imminent
• を基にして（をもとにして） — based on ~
• をもって — by means of ~; as of (a date/time)
• をめぐって — regarding ~; surrounding ~ (used for disputes/discussions)
• 活動休止かつどうきゅうし — suspension of activities

The correct answer is 3 (でもあるまい). 「〜でもあるまい」is a pattern meaning 'it's not as if ~' or 'surely it's not ~,' expressing the speaker's dismissive or skeptical attitude. Here: 'I thought, it's not as if we'd go to an amusement park just the two of us at this stage (of our marriage).' The nuance is that the speaker felt it was somewhat inappropriate or unlikely for a married couple to go to an amusement park, but they went anyway and surprisingly enjoyed it.

• 1にすぎない means 'nothing more than ~ / merely ~.' While it could fit grammatically, the sentence needs a pattern that conveys 'it's not as if we'd do something like that,' not 'it's nothing more than an amusement park.' The nuance doesn't match.
• 2ならではだ means 'unique to ~ / something only possible with ~.' This does not fit the context at all.
• 4のようなものだ means 'it's like ~ / it's the kind of thing that ~.' This does not convey the dismissive 'surely not' nuance needed here.

• 〜でもあるまい — it's not as if ~; surely it's not ~ (expressing dismissal or skepticism)
• いまさら — at this late stage; now (when it's too late or seems odd)
• にすぎない — nothing more than ~; merely ~
• ならではだ — unique to ~; characteristic of ~

The correct answer is 3 (存じます). 「〜と存じます」is the humble (謙譲語) form of 思う, meaning 'I think that ~.' In this formal letter, the writer says: 'I imagine you are spending busy days every day, but I hope there have been no changes (in your health/condition).' 存じます is the appropriate humble form for a respectful letter.

• 1いたします is the humble form of する, not 思う. '〜といたします' is not a standard humble expression for thinking.
• 2承りします (うけたまわります) is the humble form of 聞く/尋ねる ('to ask/hear'), not 思う. It would mean 'I will ask/hear,' which doesn't fit.
• 4申し上げます is the humble form of 言う ('to say'), not 思う. '〜と申し上げます' means 'I say ~,' which is grammatically possible but semantically wrong here — the writer is expressing their own thought, not making a statement to the recipient.

• 存ぞんじます — I think; I believe (humble form of 思う)
• 承うけたまわります — to hear; to ask; to receive (humble form of 聞く/受け取る)
• 申し上げます（もうしあげます） — to say; to state (humble form of 言う)
• いたします — to do (humble form of する)

The sentence contrasts the convenience gained from technological progress with what was lost in exchange. 「〜と引きかえに」 means 'in exchange for ~', fitting the structure 「便利さと引きかえに失ったもの」(things lost in exchange for convenience).

• 1「なくしては」means 'without ~, one cannot...' and is used to express an indispensable condition (e.g., 「愛なくして人生はない」). It does not fit the 'in exchange for' meaning needed here.
• 2「〜と相まって」means 'together with ~, combining with ~' and expresses a positive/neutral synergy (e.g., 「才能と努力とが相まって成功した」). It does not express an exchange or trade-off.
• 3「〜のみならず」means 'not only ~' and is used to add information (e.g., 「便利なのみならず安全でもある」). It does not express the contrast/trade-off needed here.

• と引きかえに（とひきかえに） — in exchange for ~
• なくしては — without ~ (cannot do / does not exist)
• と相まって（とあいまって） — together with ~, combining with ~ (synergy)
• のみならず — not only ~ (but also)

「守るべく」uses the pattern 「〜べく」(volitional form + べく), meaning 'in order to ~ / with the intention of ~'. The sentence reads: 'Our company, in order to protect the global environment, is working on waste reduction and recycling promotion.' This fits perfectly.

• 1「守ろうとも」would mean something like 'even if trying to protect ~', but 「〜とも」as a concessive does not connect naturally to the following clause about taking action with that purpose.
• 2「守ればこそ」means 'precisely because we protect ~', expressing a reason/emphasis. The sentence needs a purpose expression, not a causal one.
• 4「守るにせよ」means 'even if (we) protect ~ / assuming (we) protect ~', a concessive/conditional. It does not express purpose.

• 〜べく — in order to ~, with the intention of ~ (formal; attaches to volitional form)
• 〜にせよ — even if ~, assuming ~
• 〜ばこそ — precisely because ~ (emphasis on reason)

「なにも〜なくてもいい」is a set pattern meaning 'there is no need to ~ (so much)'. A says: 'Just because I'm a little late, there's no need to get so angry.' 「なにも」here softens/criticizes the excessive reaction, meaning 'it's not like you need to...'.

• 1「まるで」means 'completely / entirely' or 'as if' (with 〜のよう). It does not fit the pattern 「〜なくてもいい」.
• 2「ちっとも」means 'not at all' and is used with negative predicates (e.g., 「ちっとも怒らない」). It cannot precede 「そんなに怒らなくてもいいだろう」naturally here.
• 4「いっさい」means 'entirely / completely' and is used with negatives (e.g., 「いっさい怒らない」). It does not form the idiomatic softening pattern needed here.

• なにも — (with negative) there is no need to ~; it's not as if one must ~
• まるで — completely; as if (〜のよう)
• ちっとも — not at all (with negative)
• いっさい — entirely, completely (with negative)

「探すったって」is the colloquial contraction of 「探すと言ったって」, meaning 'even if you say let's search / you say search, but...'. B is responding to A's request to search together by pointing out the difficulty: 'Even if you say let's search, how are we supposed to search in such a wide place?' This fits perfectly.

• 2「探すのかどうか」means 'whether (we) will search or not', which is irrelevant to the context. B is not questioning whether to search but reacting to the suggestion.
• 3「探すわりには」means 'for someone who is searching / despite searching', expressing a contradiction between action and expectation. It does not fit the conversational reaction pattern here.
• 4「探すっていうより」means 'rather than searching...', used to reframe/correct a description. It does not fit the 'even if you say ~' concessive reaction needed here.

• 〜ったって — even if (you) say ~; you say ~ but... (colloquial contraction of 〜と言ったって)
• 〜わりには — for ~; despite ~ (contradiction between expectation and reality)
• 〜っていうより — rather than ~

「なんと美しかったことか」is an exclamatory pattern: 「なんと + adjective + ことか」= 'How ~ it was!' It expresses deep emotional exclamation. The following sentence 「本当に感動した」(I was truly moved) confirms this is an exclamation of admiration.

• 1「のか」is a question marker and would form a question 'Was it beautiful?' which contradicts the declarative, exclamatory tone of the passage.
• 3「わけだ」means 'that is why / naturally / it means that ~', expressing a logical conclusion or explanation. It does not express exclamation.
• 4「ものだ」can express general truths, reminiscence, or emotion, but with 「なんと」the correct exclamatory ending is 「ことか」, not 「ものだ」.

• なんと〜ことか — how ~! (exclamatory pattern expressing deep emotion)
• 〜わけだ — that is why; naturally; it means that ~
• 〜ものだ — (general truth / reminiscence / emotional exclamation)