N1 Vocabulary · Test 114

The underlined word is おとらず, which is written in kanji as 劣らず. It comes from the verb 劣る (おとる, 'to be inferior to') in its negative continuative form, meaning 'not inferior to' / 'just as much as' / 'no less than'. In the sentence, これにおとらず重要である means 'it is just as important as this (i.e., no less important than understanding other cultures).' Option 2, 劣らず, is therefore the correct kanji representation.

• 1後らず is not a valid word. 後 is read あと or のち, and there is no verb 後る read おとる. This is a lookalike distractor using a visually similar kanji.
• 3落らず would be read おちらず from 落ちる (おちる, 'to fall'), which is unrelated in meaning and form. It is a distractor with a similar shape but wrong reading and meaning.
• 4遅らず would be read おくらず from 遅れる (おくれる, 'to be late'), which does not fit the reading おとらず or the meaning 'not inferior to'. It is another plausible-looking but incorrect kanji.

• 劣おとらず — not inferior to; no less than; just as much as
• 劣おとる — to be inferior to
• 異文化いぶんか — different culture; foreign culture
• 重要性じゅうようせい — importance
• 盛さかんに — frequently; actively; widely
• 認識にんしき — recognition; awareness

The correct option is 2. The reading ぶたい (butai) refers to a 'stage' or 'setting/background'. In the context of the sentence, '東京を舞台に' (taking Tokyo as the stage/setting) is a very common Japanese expression used to describe where a story or drama takes place. Therefore, 舞台 is the correct kanji.

• 1部帯 uses the kanji 部 (part/section) and 帯 (belt/sash). This is not a real word and does not fit the reading or meaning.
• 3分帯 uses the kanji 分 (minute/part) and 帯 (belt/sash). This is not a real word and does not fit the reading or meaning.
• 4無台 uses the kanji 無 (nothing/without) and 台 (stand/platform). This is not a real word and does not fit the reading or meaning.

• 舞台ぶたい — stage; setting (for a story)
• 対照的たいしょうてきな — contrasting
• 描えがく — to depict, to describe
• 一断面いちだんめん — one aspect, a cross-section

The correct option is 3. 対照的 (たいしょうてき) means 'contrasting' or 'set in contrast.' In the context of the sentence, the drama depicts the 'contrasting ways of life' (対照的な生き方) of two young people to capture an aspect of urban life. This highlights the difference between their lifestyles, making 'contrasting' the most natural and logical choice.

• 1対称的 (たいしょうてき) means 'symmetrical' or 'symmetric.' This is used when two things have a balanced, mirror-like relationship (e.g., in geometry or design), which does not fit the context of two people's ways of life.
• 2対象的 (たいしょうてき) means 'objective' or 'pertaining to an object/target.' While 対象 (たいしょう) means 'object' or 'target,' adding 的 here would imply an objective perspective, which does not make sense when modifying 'ways of life' (生き方) in this context.
• 4対症的 (たいしょうてき) means 'symptomatic,' typically used in a medical context (e.g., 対症療法 - symptomatic treatment). It is completely unrelated to describing ways of life.

• 対照的たいしょうてき — contrasting, set in contrast
• 対称的たいしょうてき — symmetrical, symmetric
• 対象的たいしょうてき — objective, pertaining to an object
• 対症的たいしょうてき — symptomatic (medical)

The correct option is 2, 描いて (えがいて). The verb 描く (えがく) means 'to depict' or 'to portray', which fits the context of a drama portraying the lifestyles of two young people. Note that 描く can also be read as かく (to draw a picture), but in the context of depicting a story or lifestyle, it is read as えがく.

• 1書いて (かいて) means 'to write'. While it looks similar and shares the same reading when written in kana, you 'write' (書く) a letter or an essay, but a drama 'depicts' (描く/えがく) a lifestyle.
• 3写いて is not a valid Japanese word. The correct verb for 'to copy' or 'to photograph' is 写す (うつす), and its te-form would be 写して (うつして), not 写いて.
• 4絵いて is not a valid Japanese word. 絵 (え) is a noun meaning 'picture', and it cannot be conjugated as a verb with いて.

• 描えがく — to depict, to portray, to describe
• 舞台ぶたい — stage, setting
• 対照的たいしょうてき — contrasting
• 一断面いちだんめん — one aspect, one cross-section

Option 4 is correct. The word being tested is 'いちだんめん', which is written as 一断面. The base word is 断面 (だんめん), meaning 'cross-section' or 'aspect'. Adding 一 (いち) gives 'one cross-section' or 'one aspect'. In the context of the sentence, '都会生活の一断面をとらえた' means 'captured one aspect of urban life'.

• 1Option 1 is wrong. 一団面 uses the kanji 団 (group). While 一団 (いちだん) is a valid word meaning 'a group', adding 面 does not create a valid Japanese word.
• 2Option 2 is wrong. 一弾面 uses the kanji 弾 (bullet). 一弾 (いちだん) means 'one bullet', but 一弾面 is not a real word.
• 3Option 3 is wrong. 一段面 uses the kanji 段 (step/level). 一段 (いちだん) is a valid word meaning 'one step' or 'a little more', but 一段面 is not a real word.

• 一断面いちだんめん — one cross-section, one aspect
• 断面だんめん — cross-section, section

The underlined word "さいそく" is written in kanji as 催促. The question asks you to identify which option contains the same kanji as the underlined word. Option 2 uses the word "そくしん", which is written as 促進. Both 催促 and 促進 share the kanji 促.

• 1"きゅうそく" is written as 休足. It does not share any kanji with 催促.
• 3"じそく" is written as 時速. It does not share any kanji with 催促.
• 4"すいそく" is written as 推測. It does not share any kanji with 催促.

• 催促さいそく — urging, pressing (for payment, reply, etc.)
• 促進そくしん — promotion, acceleration, facilitation
• 休足きゅうそく — resting one's feet, taking a break during a walk
• 時速じそく — speed per hour
• 推測すいそく — guess, conjecture, inference

The underlined word はいご is written 背後 (はいご), meaning 'behind / rear.' The question asks which option contains a word using the same kanji with the same reading. Option 1, はいけい, is written 背景 (はいけい), meaning 'background.' The kanji 背 appears in both 背後 and 背景 with the same reading はい, so this is the correct answer.

• 2Option 2, はいし, is written 廃止 (はいし), meaning 'abolition.' Although the reading はい is the same, the kanji 廃 is completely different from 背. This is a distractor that relies on the shared sound はい.
• 3Option 3, こうはい, is written 後輩 (こうはい), meaning 'junior colleague.' This word does share the kanji 後 with 背後, but the reading differs: in 背後 it is read ご, while in 後輩 it is read こう. The question requires the same kanji with the same reading, so this is incorrect.
• 4Option 4, はいたつ, is written 配達 (はいたつ), meaning 'delivery.' The kanji 配 is different from 背; only the sound はい happens to match. This is a phonological distractor.

• 背後はいご — behind, rear
• 背景はいけい — background
• 廃止はいし — abolition, repeal
• 後輩こうはい — junior colleague
• 配達はいたつ — delivery

The underlined word りょうしょう is written 了承（りょうしょう）, meaning 'consent/approval'. The tested kanji is 承（しょう）. Option 1 uses 承認（しょうにん）, 'official approval/authorization', which contains the same kanji 承. The sentence means 'Unless you obtain government approval, you cannot export this,' so it is the correct choice.

• 2みぶんしょう is 身分証（みぶんしょう）, 'ID/identification', and uses 証, not 承.
• 3しょうじょう is 症状（しょうじょう）, 'symptoms', and uses 症, not 承.
• 4しょうれい is 奨励（しょうれい）, 'encouragement', and uses 奨, not 承.

• 了承りょうしょう — consent, approval, understanding and acceptance
• 承認しょうにん — approval, authorization, recognition
• 身分証みぶんしょう — identification, ID card
• 症状しょうじょう — symptoms
• 奨励しょうれい — encouragement, promotion