N1 Grammar · Test 42

The correct order is 4→2→★3→1, producing: 勉強に専念するためにアルバイトをすぐにでもやめたいが、スタッフ不足から★やめるに やめられず困っている。('I want to quit my part-time job as soon as possible to focus on studying, but due to a staff shortage, I can't quit even though I want to, and I'm in a bind.') The key grammar being tested is the pattern V辞書形＋に＋V可能形＋ず, here やめるにやめられず ('wanting to quit but unable to quit'). Option 3 やめるに is the first half of this set expression and fills the ★ position. The sentence first states the desire (やめたいが), then the reason it's difficult (スタッフ不足から), then the idiomatic phrase (やめるにやめられず), and finally 困っている.

• 1やめられず is the second half of the set phrase やめるにやめられず. It must come AFTER やめるに, so it belongs in the fourth blank, not the ★ position. Placing it at ★ would break the pattern and leave no grammatical way to fill the remaining blanks.
• 2スタッフ不足から ('due to staff shortage') provides the reason the speaker cannot quit. It belongs in the second blank, right before the やめるにやめられず phrase, explaining why quitting is impossible. Placing it at ★ would disrupt the flow: the reason clause needs to precede the conclusion.
• 4やめたいが ('want to quit, but') sets up the speaker's wish and the contrast. It belongs in the first blank, right after すぐにでも. Placing it at ★ would leave the first two blanks without a logical starting point for the sentence.

• 専念せんねんする — to devote oneself to, to focus on
• スタッフ不足（スタッフふそく） — staff shortage
• 〜に〜ず — grammar pattern: V辞書形＋に＋V可能形＋ず — 'wanting to do X but unable to do X' (e.g., やめるにやめられず: wanting to quit but unable to quit)
• やめるにやめられず — wanting to quit but unable to quit (set expression using the 〜に〜ず pattern)

The full sentence is: 将棋が好きだということ自体がすでに才能なのであって、好きだという気持ちがあればこそ強くなれるのだ。The ★ slot (3rd of 4 blanks) is filled by option 4「好きだという気持ちが」. The sentence means: 'The fact that you like shogi is itself already a talent, and it is precisely because you have that feeling of liking it that you can become stronger.' The grammar pattern 〜ばこそ means 'precisely because ~' and emphasizes the reason.

• 1すでに才能なのであって goes in the 2nd blank, forming 自体がすでに才能なのであって ('is itself already a talent, and...'). It cannot go in the ★ position because the sentence needs a subject for あればこそ after it.
• 2あればこそ goes in the 4th (final) blank, completing 好きだという気持ちがあればこそ強くなれるのだ ('precisely because one has the feeling of liking it, one can become stronger'). It must follow a conditional stem like あれば.
• 3自体が goes in the 1st blank, attaching to ということ to form ということ自体が ('the fact itself that~'). Placing it in the ★ slot would break the sentence structure.

• あればこそ — precisely because ~; it is exactly because ~ (emphasizes the reason)
• 自体じたい — itself; in itself
• 才能さいのう — talent; aptitude

The full sentence is: 私を仲間とでも思っていたのだろうか。The order is: 仲間と(1)[でも(3)][思っていたの(4)][だ(2)]だろうか。The ★ slot (3rd blank) is filled by option 4「思っていたの」. The sentence means: 'Was the gorilla perhaps thinking I was a companion?' The pattern 〜とでも思っていたのだろうか expresses a speculative guess about someone's thoughts.

• 1と goes in the 1st blank, marking 仲間 as what the gorilla thought: 仲間と ('as a companion'). It is a particle and must directly follow 仲間.
• 2だ goes in the 4th (final) blank before だろうか, forming 思っていたのだろうか. It cannot go in the ★ position because it needs to follow the nominalizer の.
• 3でも goes in the 2nd blank, adding 'even/as much as' nuance: 仲間とでも ('perhaps as a companion'). It must follow と.

• とでも思う（とでもおもう） — to perhaps think that ~; to be thinking something like ~
• 仲間なかま — companion; fellow; member of the same group

The full sentence is: 情報技術や交通手段の発達などで異文化間の交流が活発化した現代にあっては、これまでの考え方にこだわらず、異なる価値観を理解しようとする姿勢を持つことが重要である。The order is: [2][4][★=1][3]. The ★ slot (3rd blank) is filled by option 1「これまでの考え方にこだわらず」. The sentence means: 'In this modern age where cross-cultural exchange has become active due to developments in information technology and transportation, it is important to have an attitude of trying to understand different values without clinging to conventional ways of thinking.'

• 2情報技術や交通手段の発達などで goes in the 1st blank, providing the cause: 'due to developments in information technology and transportation, etc.' It sets up the context for 異文化間の交流が活発化した.
• 3異なる価値観を理解しようとする goes in the 4th (final) blank, directly modifying 姿勢: 'an attitude of trying to understand different values.' It must immediately precede 姿勢を持つことが重要である.
• 4異文化間の交流が活発化した現代にあっては goes in the 2nd blank, establishing the temporal/contextual frame: 'in the modern age where cross-cultural exchange has become active.' It follows the cause clause and precedes the main clause.

• 〜にあっては — in ~; in the context of ~ (formal expression indicating a particular time/situation)
• こだわる — to be particular about; to cling to; to obsess over
• 活発化かっぱつか — becoming active; becoming vigorous

Option 1 (ない) is correct. The full sentence is: 「試験当日初めてその大学に行き、迷ってしまったということのないように、事前に見学しておくとよい。」= 'So that you don't end up getting lost by going to the university for the first time on exam day, it's a good idea to visit beforehand.' The arrangement is: 迷ってしまった[4.ことの][1.ない][★3.ように][2.という]→ Wait, let me re-examine. The correct order is: 迷ってしまった[2.という][4.ことの][★1.ない][3.ように]、事前に見学しておくとよい。= 迷ってしまったということのないように. The pattern 〜ということのないように means 'so that (the situation of) ~ doesn't happen.' ★ = ない (option 1).

• 2という (option 2) goes in the first blank, not the ★ position. It connects to form 迷ってしまったということのないように.
• 3ように (option 3) goes in the last blank before 事前に, not the ★ position. It expresses purpose ('so that...').
• 4ことの (option 4) goes in the second blank, not the ★ position. It connects という to ない to form ということのない ('the fact that... doesn't exist').

• 〜ということのないように — so that [the situation of] ~ doesn't happen (ように = so that; ことのない = that doesn't occur)
• 見学けんがく — inspection, visiting (a place) to look around
• 迷まよう — to get lost, to lose one's way

Option 1 (となる) is correct. The full sentence is: 「家庭を犠牲にしてまでとなると、それはちょっと問題です」= 'If it comes to the point of even sacrificing your family, that's a bit of a problem.' The arrangement is: 犠牲4.にして[2.まで][★1.となる][3.と]、それはちょっと問題です。The pattern 〜にしてまで ('even going so far as to') + となると ('if it comes to / when it becomes the case that') expresses a conditional threshold: 'if it reaches the point where you even sacrifice your family.' ★ = となる (option 1).

• 2まで (option 2) goes in the second blank, not the ★ position. It means 'even' and connects to にして to form にしてまで ('even going so far as to').
• 3と (option 3) goes in the final blank, not the ★ position. It attaches to となる to form となると ('if it comes to / when it becomes').
• 4にして (option 4) goes in the first blank, not the ★ position. It means 'by means of / doing' and connects 犠牲 to まで: 犠牲にしてまで ('even at the cost of').

• 〜にしてまで — even going so far as to (expresses doing something extreme, even at the cost of N)
• 〜となると — if it comes to / when it becomes the case that (expresses a conditional threshold)
• 犠牲ぎせい — sacrifice

The correct sentence is: 管理職になったら、たとえ自分には責任がなくても自分の責任だとして部下の失敗も引き受けるというくらいの覚悟がなくてはならない。'When you become a manager, you must have the resolve to accept even your subordinates' failures as your own responsibility, even if you yourself bear no responsibility.' The ★ (3rd position) is filled by option 4 「自分の責任」, preceded by option 3 「自分には責任」+ option 2 「がなくても」 and followed by option 1 「だとして」. The pattern たとえ…がなくても…だとして creates a double concessive: 'even if there is no responsibility on you, even treating it as your responsibility…'

• 1「だとして」 goes in the 4th blank, not the ★ position. It attaches after 「自分の責任」to form 「自分の責任だとして」('even if it is one's own responsibility / treating it as one's responsibility').
• 2「がなくても」 goes in the 2nd blank, attaching to 「自分には責任」to form the concessive clause 「自分には責任がなくても」('even if one has no responsibility').
• 3「自分には責任」 goes in the 1st blank, not the ★ position. It pairs with 「がなくても」to form 「自分には責任がなくても」.

• 管理職かんりしょく — managerial position / management
• 覚悟かくご — resolve / preparedness / readiness
• 引き受ける（ひきうける） — to take on / to accept (responsibility, a task, etc.)
• たとえ〜ても — even if… (concessive pattern)
• 〜だとして — even if it is… / supposing it is…

The correct sentence is: 今でこそ一流企業と言われる我が社だが、もともとは小さな町工場だった。'Nowadays our company is called a first-class enterprise, but originally it was a small town factory.' The ★ (3rd position) is filled by option 2 「我が社だが」. The order is: 今でこそ(3) → 一流企業と言われる(4) → 我が社だが(2)★ → もともとは(1). The structure 今でこそ…だが、もともとは… contrasts the present state with the humble origins.

• 1「もともとは」 goes in the 4th blank, introducing the contrast clause about the company's origins ('originally…').
• 3「今でこそ」 goes in the 1st blank, meaning 'now / at present (as opposed to before),' setting up the contrast with もともとは.
• 4「一流企業と言われる」 goes in the 2nd blank, modifying 我が社 ('a company called first-class'). It cannot stand in the ★ position because it needs 我が社だが to follow it.

• 今いまでこそ — now (with nuance: as opposed to before)
• 一流企業いちりゅうきぎょう — first-class enterprise / top-tier company
• 我が社（わがしゃ） — our company
• もともと — originally / in the first place
• 町工場まちこうば — small town factory / local workshop

The correct sentence is: 役作りに悩んでいるのかと思いきや、そうでもないという。'One would think she is struggling with character preparation, but apparently she is not.' The ★ (3rd position) is filled by option 3 「思いきや」. The order is: のか(4) → と(1) → 思いきや(3)★ → そうでもない(2). The grammar pattern 〜と思いきや means 'just when I thought… / I assumed…, but contrary to expectations…'

• 1「と」 goes in the 2nd blank, serving as the quotative particle that connects 「悩んでいるのか」to 「思いきや」to form 「〜と思いきや」.
• 2「そうでもない」 goes in the 4th blank, meaning 'not really / not particularly so,' expressing that the concern is not as serious as expected.
• 4「のか」 goes in the 1st blank, attaching to 「悩んでいる」to form an embedded question 「悩んでいるのか」('whether she is struggling'), which is then quoted by と.

• 役柄やくがら — role / character (in a play, drama, etc.)
• 役作やくづくり — character preparation / building a role
• 〜と思いきや（〜とおもいきや） — just when one thought… / contrary to expectations…
• そうでもない — not really so / not particularly the case