N1 Grammar · Test 40

The correct order is: 今日こそ(2) 何も(1) 起きません(4) ように(3). The full sentence is: 「最終日の今日こそ何も起きませんように。」meaning 'I hope nothing happens today, the final day.' The speaker has had a string of troubles (heavy rain, flat tire) and is wishing for a trouble-free last day. 「何も起きませんように」is a common prayer/wish expression meaning 'may nothing happen.' The ★ marks the second blank, which is 何も(1).

• 2「今日こそ」means 'today for sure; today of all days.' It belongs in the first blank, not the ★ position. It sets up the hope that today will finally be trouble-free.
• 3「ように」means 'so that; may it be that...' It belongs in the final blank, completing the wish pattern 「～ように」.
• 4「起きません」is the negative polite form of 起きる 'to happen/occur.' It belongs in the third blank, forming 「何も起きません」'nothing happens.'

• 何も～ない（なにも～ない） — nothing (happens)
• ～ように — may it be that... (wish/prayer pattern)
• パンク（ぱんく） — flat tire (from 'puncture')
• トラブル続き（とらぶるづき） — troubles continuing one after another

The correct order is: 1枚選ぶ(3) だけのことなのに(2) 4時間もかかる(1) とは(4). The full sentence is: 「ブラウス1枚選ぶだけのことなのに4時間もかかるとは、全くあきれてしまった。」meaning 'It's just choosing one blouse, yet it takes as long as 4 hours—I was completely dumbfounded.' 「だけのことなのに」means 'even though it's merely (doing something so simple),' expressing that the task is trivial yet the result is excessive. The ★ marks the second blank, which is だけのことなのに(2).

• 1「4時間もかかる」means 'it takes as long as 4 hours.' It belongs in the third blank, describing the excessive time. The 「も」emphasizes the unexpectedly large amount.
• 3「1枚選ぶ」means 'to choose one (item).' It belongs in the first blank, forming 「ブラウス1枚選ぶ」'choosing one blouse.'
• 4「とは」is a quotation/exclamatory marker meaning 'to think that...!' It belongs in the final blank, expressing astonishment: 「4時間もかかるとは」'to think it takes 4 hours!'

• ～だけのことなのに — even though it's merely (doing something so simple)
• あきれる — to be dumbfounded, astounded
• ブラウス（ぶらうす） — blouse
• ～とは — to think that...! (exclamatory quotation marker)

The correct order is: この仕事をすべて「新入社員の田中さん」「には」「一人でやる」「のは」無理だ。= 'It is impossible for new employee Tanaka to do all this work alone.' The structure is (person)には (action)のは無理だ ('it is impossible for (person) to (action)'). The ★ slot is the third position, which is 一人でやる (option 1).

• 2This is the subject/person who would do the work. It belongs in the first blank, not the ★ position.
• 3This is the particle には ('for (person)'), which connects the person to the action. It belongs in the second blank.
• 4This is のは, which nominalizes the verb phrase so it can be the topic of 無理だ. It belongs in the fourth blank, right before 無理だ.

• 無理むり — impossible, unreasonable
• 一人ひとりで — alone, by oneself

The correct order is: 外出「といったら」「近所のスーパーに行く」「程度の」「もので」、あとは朝から晩まで家にいるという生活なのだ。= 'As for going out, it's only to the extent of going to the neighborhood supermarket, and the rest of the time I'm home from morning to night.' The ★ slot is the fourth position: もので (option 1). The pattern 〜といったら〜程度のもので means 'speaking of 〜, it's only to the degree of 〜,' and もので connects to the following clause.

• 2This is the content of the 'going out' — going to the nearby supermarket. It belongs in the second blank.
• 3This modifies the extent: 程度の ('to the degree/extent of'). It belongs in the third blank.
• 4This is といったら ('speaking of / when it comes to'), which introduces the topic 外出. It belongs in the first blank.

• 運動不足うんどうぶそく — lack of exercise
• 外出がいしゅつ — going out
• 程度ていど — degree, extent

The correct order is: 路線を廃止する「に至った」「経緯」「及び」「今後の対応」について、説明がなされた。= 'An explanation was given regarding the circumstances that led to abolishing the route, as well as future measures.' The ★ slot is the third position: 及び (option 1). The structure is [に至った経緯]及び[今後の対応]について — 'regarding the circumstances leading to (abolition) AND future responses.'

• 2に至った ('led to / came to') modifies 経緯, forming に至った経緯 ('the circumstances that led to'). It belongs in the first blank.
• 3経緯 ('circumstances, background, process') is the first noun in the compound noun phrase. It belongs in the second blank.
• 4今後の対応 ('future measures/responses') is the second noun, connected by 及び. It belongs in the fourth blank.

• 廃止はいし — abolition, discontinuation
• 経緯けいい — circumstances, background, the process leading to something
• 及および — and, as well as (formal conjunction connecting nouns)
• 対応たいおう — response, measures, handling

Option 4 (表現力で) is correct. The full sentence is: 「彼はこの映画で、純粋で不器用な主人公を、その確かな表現力で、見事なまでに演じきった。」The order is 2→1→4→3. 「見事なまでに」= 'to a splendid degree/extent,' modifying 演じきった ('completely portrayed'). The sentence means: 'In this film, he completely portrayed the pure and clumsy protagonist to a splendid degree with his reliable expressive power.' The ★ is in the third position, so 表現力で goes there: 純粋で不器用な[主人公を][その確かな][★:表現力で][見事な]までに演じきった。

• 1「その確かな」belongs in position 2, modifying 表現力: その確かな表現力で = 'with that reliable expressive power.' Placing it at ★ (position 3) would break the modifier relationship.
• 2「主人公を」belongs in position 1 as the object of 演じきった: 純粋で不器用な主人公を = 'the pure and clumsy protagonist (object).' Placing it at ★ would disrupt the sentence structure.
• 3「見事な」belongs in position 4, forming 見事なまでに = 'to a splendid degree.' Placing it at ★ (position 3) would separate it from までに and break the pattern.

• 純粋じゅんすい — pure / innocent
• 不器用ぶきよう — clumsy / awkward
• 主人公しゅじんこう — protagonist / main character
• 表現力ひょうげんりょく — expressive power / ability to express
• 見事みごとな — splendid / magnificent
• ～までに — to the point of ~ / to the extent of ~ (here: 見事なまでに = to a splendid degree)
• 演えんじきる — to completely portray/act out (演じる + きる = to do completely)

Option 1 (など) is correct. The full sentence is: 「それなくして会社の成長など望みようもない」= 'Without that, there is no hope whatsoever for the company's growth.' The order is 4→2→1→3. The key pattern is 「～なくして～ない」= 'without ~, cannot ~' (N1 grammar), combined with 「望みようもない」= 'there is no way to hope for / no hope at all.' The ★ is in the third position: それ[なくして][会社の成長][★:など][望みようも]ない。The など adds emphasis, meaning 'something like company growth — there's no hope for it.'

• 2「会社の成長」belongs in position 2 as the object of 望みようもない: 会社の成長など望みようもない = 'no hope for company growth.' Placing it at ★ would break the structure.
• 3「望みようも」belongs in position 4, directly before ない to form 望みようもない = 'there is no hope at all.' Placing it at ★ would separate it from ない.
• 4「なくして」belongs in position 1, forming それなくして = 'without that.' This is the core of the 「～なくして～ない」pattern. Placing it at ★ would break the pattern.

• ～なくして～ない — without ~, cannot ~ (N1 pattern expressing that something is indispensable)
• 望のぞみようもない — there is no hope at all / no way to hope for (望み + ようもない = no way to ~)
• 魅力みりょく — charm / appeal
• 開発かいはつ — development
• 成長せいちょう — growth

The correct order is 3→1→2→4: 多くとった[からといって][より丈夫になる][★かというと][そういう]ものでもなく. The full clause reads 多くとったからといって、より丈夫になるかというとそういうものでもなく, meaning 'Just because you consume a lot (of protein), it doesn't necessarily mean you'll become stronger.' The grammar pattern 〜からといって…かというとそういうものでもない means 'just because X doesn't mean Y; it's not necessarily the case.' The ★ is at the third position, which is かというと (option 2).

• 1より丈夫になる belongs in the second blank, forming the embedded question より丈夫になるかというと ('if you ask whether you'll become stronger'). It cannot go in the ★ position.
• 3からといって belongs in the first blank, attaching to 多くとった to form 多くとったからといって ('just because you took a lot'). Placing it at ★ would break the sentence structure.
• 4そういう belongs in the fourth blank, directly before ものでもなく to form そういうものでもなく ('it's not that kind of thing'). It cannot go at ★.

• からといって — just because… (used to say that a cause doesn't necessarily lead to a result)
• かというと — if you ask whether…; when it comes to whether…
• そういうものでもない — it's not necessarily like that; it's not that simple

The correct order is 1→4→3→2: 来年2月のコンサート[をもって] (解散するバンド「Z」)[★が][6枚目にして最後]となるCDを発売した。The full sentence reads 来年2月のコンサートをもって解散するバンド「Z」が6枚目にして最後となるCDを発売した, meaning 'Band Z, which will disband with their concert in February of next year, released a CD that becomes their 6th and final one.' The particle が marks the subject バンド「Z」, so it sits right before the predicate 6枚目にして最後となる. The ★ is at the third position, which is が (option 3).

• 1をもって belongs in the first blank, attaching to コンサート to form コンサートをもって ('with/ending at the concert'). It cannot go at ★.
• 26枚目にして最後 belongs in the fourth blank, forming the predicate 6枚目にして最後となる ('becoming the 6th and final'). It cannot go at ★.
• 4解散するバンド「Z」 belongs in the second blank, as the subject noun phrase modified by the relative clause. Placing it at ★ would break the grammatical structure.

• をもって — with; by means of; ending at (formal)
• 〜にして — at the point of reaching; being the Nth and…
• 発売はつばいする — to release (a product), to put on sale

The correct order is 4→1→2→3: 来月あたりに何らかの発表を[するのではないかと][見られていた] (★X社が)[来週にも情報を公開すると]ホームページ上で公表し、話題となっている。The full sentence reads: 新型ゲーム機について、来月あたりに何らかの発表をするのではないかと見られていたX社が来週にも情報を公開するとホームページ上で公表し、話題となっている, meaning 'Regarding the new game console, Company X — which had been expected to make some kind of announcement around next month — announced on their homepage that they would release information as early as next week, generating buzz.' X社が is the subject marker connecting the long modifier to the main verb 公表し. The ★ is at the third position, which is X社が (option 2).

• 1見られていた belongs in the second blank, forming するのではないかと見られていた ('was expected/speculated to make an announcement'). It cannot go at ★.
• 3来週にも情報を公開すると belongs in the fourth blank, forming the content clause 公開すると公表し ('announced that they would release information'). It cannot go at ★.
• 4するのではないかと belongs in the first blank, starting the speculation clause するのではないかと見られていた. It cannot go at ★.

• 〜のではないかと — speculating that… might… (introduces a conjecture)
• 見みられていた — was seen/expected (passive-past-progressive of 見る)
• 何なんらかの — some kind of; some sort of