N1 Vocabulary · Test 139

In the stem, 手（て） means 'method, approach, way' — 何かいい手はないものか = 'Isn't there some good method?' Option 4, その手でいこう ('Let's go with that approach'), uses 手 in exactly the same sense: a method or plan of action.

• 1行く手（いくて） means 'the way ahead, the direction one is heading.' Here 手 is part of a compound meaning 'direction,' not 'method.'
• 2手がかかる means 'to require care/effort (to raise or manage).' Here 手 refers to the labor/attention needed, not a method.
• 3手が足りない means 'not enough hands/people (to do the work).' Here 手 means 'personnel, workers,' not 'method.'

The stem uses 曇る(くもる) metaphorically for a person's outward expression becoming clouded/darkened with negative emotion: 顔が曇る means one's facial expression becomes gloomy or clouded. Option 3 uses the same metaphorical pattern—声が曇る means one's voice becomes heavy/gloomy with negative emotion. Both describe a person's demeanor (face or voice) darkening due to worry, sadness, or displeasure, so this is the matching usage.

• 1目が曇る is a set phrase meaning 'one's judgment is clouded (by greed, desire, etc.).' While metaphorical, it refers to impaired judgment, not a visible change in expression or demeanor, so it does not match the stem's usage.
• 2This is the literal physical meaning of 曇る: glass/mirrors fogging up or becoming cloudy with condensation. Completely different from the metaphorical 'expression clouding' in the stem.
• 4This is the literal weather meaning: the sky becoming cloudy/overcast. A basic physical usage, unrelated to the metaphorical 'expression clouding' in the stem.

• 曇くもる — to become cloudy (weather, glass); to become clouded/gloomy (expression, voice); (judgment) to be clouded

The stem uses にらむ to mean 'to suspect/guess/judge'—私のにらんだとおりだった means 'it was just as I had guessed/suspected.' Option 1 uses the identical meaning: あの男が犯人だとにらんでいる means 'I suspect that man is the culprit.' Both involve forming a suspicion or hunch about something, so this is the matching usage.

• 2Here にらむ means 'to glare at'—being stared at aggressively by someone. This is the literal 'to stare intensely' meaning, not the 'to suspect' meaning of the stem.
• 3Here にらむ means 'to stare intently at' something (the computer screen). This is the physical 'staring hard' meaning, not the 'suspect/guess' meaning.
• 4Here にらむ means 'to keep an eye on / to have someone marked'—部長ににらまれている means 'the department head has me under scrutiny.' While related to suspicion, this is about being watched/monitored, not about forming a hunch or guess as in the stem.

• にらむ — to glare at; to stare intently; to suspect/guess; to keep under surveillance

The stem uses きたない to mean morally dirty/underhanded: きたないこと means 'dirty/despicable/underhanded things (actions).' Option 4 uses the same moral sense: きたない金 means 'dirty money'—money obtained through illegal or unethical means. Both use きたない to describe something morally tainted or corrupt, so this is the matching usage.

• 1きたない言葉 means 'vulgar/crude/foul language.' While negative, this refers to language being coarse or offensive, not to something being morally corrupt or underhanded as in the stem.
• 2きたない字 means 'messy/sloppy handwriting.' This is about physical untidiness of writing, not the moral sense of the stem.
• 3きたない here means 'physically dirty'—something covered in dirt/germs. This is the basic literal meaning of 汚い, not the moral/ethical sense of the stem.

• 汚きたない — dirty (physically); messy/sloppy; vulgar/crude; morally corrupt/underhanded

The stem uses 運動 to mean a social/political movement or campaign: 住民の運動 means 'the residents' movement/campaign' that led to a new park being built. Option 2 uses the same meaning: 選挙に向けて運動 means 'campaigning for the election'—a political campaign activity. Both refer to organized social or political activities aimed at achieving a goal, so this is the matching usage.

• 1星の運動 means 'the movement (motion) of stars.' This is the physical/scientific meaning of 運動 as 'motion' in physics/astronomy, not a social movement.
• 3This is the common meaning of 運動 as 'physical exercise' for health. A different sense from the social/political movement in the stem.
• 4運動施設 means 'sports/athletic facilities.' Here 運動 refers to physical exercise/sports, not a social movement.

• 運動うんどう — physical exercise/sports; social/political movement or campaign; (physics) motion

The stem uses はずれる (外れる) in the sense of 'a guess/prediction misses' — テストの山がはずれて means 'the predicted exam questions were wrong (didn't appear).' Option 4 uses the same sense: あてがはずれた = 'one's expectations were disappointed / one's guess was off.' あて (当て) = expectation/guess, and はずれる means the prediction did not come true.

• 1ボタンがはずれていた means a button 'came off / was unfastened' (physical detachment), a different sense.
• 2コースをはずれて means 'deviated from the course' (going off-track), a different sense.
• 3調子がはずれて means 'off-key / out of rhythm' (musical), a different sense.

• 外はずれる — 1) to come off/detach; 2) to deviate/go off; 3) to be off-key; 4) (a guess/expectation) to miss/be wrong

The stem uses うつる (映る) in the sense of 'to be reflected' — 夕日が窓にうつっている = 'the setting sun is reflected on the window.' Option 1 uses the same sense: 湖にうつった紅葉 = 'autumn leaves reflected in the lake.' Both describe a visual image mirrored on a surface.

• 2うつるフィルム means 'film that captures images (photographs well)' — here うつる means 'to be photographed / to come out (in a photo)' (写る), a different sense.
• 3カーテンがよくうつります means 'the curtains show through / are visible well' — here うつる means 'to be visible / to show,' a different sense from reflection.
• 4目に自分勝手にうつった means 'appeared self-centered in their eyes' — here うつる means 'to appear / to be perceived as,' a different sense.

• 映る／写る（うつる） — 1) to be reflected (映る); 2) to be photographed/captured (写る); 3) to show through/be visible; 4) to appear/be perceived (映る)

単一 (たんいつ) means 'single, unified, consisting of one kind/type.' Option 4, 単一の通貨 = 'a single/unified currency' (referring to something like the euro), is the correct usage. 単一 describes a system or entity composed of one unified element.

• 1単一の趣味 is incorrect; the intended meaning is 'my only hobby,' which should be 唯一 (ゆいいつ, 'sole/only'). 単一 does not mean 'only one (in number).'
• 2単一に父の仕事だ is incorrect; the intended meaning is 'exclusively/solely the father's job,' which should be もっぱら or 専ら, not 単一.
• 3単一で飽きる is incorrect; the intended meaning is 'monotonous/boring,' which should be 単調 (たんちょう, 'monotonous'). 単一 does not mean 'monotonous.'

• 単一たんいつ — single, unified, consisting of one type/element
• 唯一ゆいいつ — sole, only (one in number)
• 単調たんちょう — monotonous, uniform

しなやか means 'supple, flexible, graceful' — describing something that bends smoothly and resiliently, or movements that are lithe and graceful. Option 3, あの選手の動きはとてもしなやかだ = 'that athlete's movements are very supple/graceful,' is the correct usage. It describes flexible, flowing physical motion.

• 1手はしなやかしている is grammatically unnatural; しなやか is a na-adjective and would need しなやかだ, not しなやかしている. Also, hands are not typically described as しなやか (which implies flexible/graceful bending, like a body or limbs in motion).
• 2しなやかにへこんだ is incorrect; へこむ means 'to be dented/crushed,' which is the opposite of しなやか (supple/flexible). A dented surface is damaged, not graceful.
• 4床がしなやかだ is incorrect; a well-polished floor would be described as つやがある (glossy/shiny) or なめらか (smooth), not しなやか. しなやか refers to flexible suppleness, not surface smoothness or shine.

• しなやか — supple, flexible, lithe, graceful (describing flexible bending or graceful movement)