N1 Vocabulary · Test 30

滅む is read ほろむ, meaning 'to perish, to be destroyed, to go to ruin.' In the sentence, 自然が滅んでいく ('nature is perishing/being destroyed') requires this reading. Option 3 ほろんで is correct.

• 1いたんで is the reading for 傷む (いたむ), meaning 'to be damaged, to deteriorate' — used for things spoiling or wearing out, not for nature being destroyed.
• 2およんで is the reading for 及む (およむ), meaning 'to reach, to extend to' — unrelated to destruction.
• 4ゆるんで is the reading for 緩む (ゆるむ), meaning 'to loosen, to slacken' — unrelated to perishing.

• 滅ほろむ — to perish, to be destroyed, to go to ruin
• 傷いたむ — to be damaged, to deteriorate
• 及およむ — to reach, to extend to
• 緩ゆるむ — to loosen, to slacken

嘆く is read なげく, meaning 'to lament, to grieve, to sigh in distress.' The sentence says 嘆くだけではいけない ('just lamenting is not enough'), which fits perfectly. Option 2 なげく is correct.

• 1なく is the reading for 泣く, meaning 'to cry, to weep' — a plausible distractor since both express sorrow, but 嘆く is なげく, not なく.
• 3わく is the reading for 沸く/湧く, meaning 'to boil, to well up' — unrelated to lamenting.
• 4わめく is the reading for 喚く, meaning 'to shout, to yell, to scream' — expresses loud outburst, not lamenting.

• 嘆なげく — to lament, to grieve, to sigh in distress
• 泣なく — to cry, to weep
• 喚わめく — to shout, to yell, to scream

悲惨な is read ひさんな, meaning 'tragic, miserable, pitiful.' The sentence refers to 悲惨な状況 ('a miserable/tragic situation'). Option 4 ひさんな is correct. The kanji 悲 is read ひ (as in 悲哀 ひあい) and 惨 is read さん (as in 惨め みじめ, but here using its on'yomi さん).

• 1びざんな uses an incorrect initial consonant — 悲 does not have a reading starting with 'b'.
• 2びさんな similarly starts with 'b', which is wrong for 悲.
• 3ひざんな has the correct ひ for 悲 but uses ざん for 惨, which is incorrect; the on'yomi of 惨 is さん, not ざん.

• 悲惨ひさんな — tragic, miserable, pitiful

避ける is read さける, meaning 'to avoid.' The sentence says 悲惨な状況を避けるために ('in order to avoid a tragic situation'). Option 2 さける is the standard reading of 避ける in this usage.

• 1ぬける is the reading for 抜ける, meaning 'to come out, to slip through, to fall out' — not 'to avoid.'
• 3のける is the reading for 退ける, meaning 'to remove, to set aside' — a different verb from 避ける.
• 4よける is also a valid reading of 避ける meaning 'to dodge, to avoid (a physical obstacle),' but it is more colloquial and typically used for physically dodging something. The standard, formal reading tested here is さける.

• 避さける — to avoid (a situation, danger, etc.)
• 避よける — to dodge, to avoid (a physical obstacle); more colloquial
• 抜ぬける — to come out, to slip through
• 退のける — to remove, to set aside

巡る is read めぐる, meaning 'to go around, to travel around, to make a circuit of.' The sentence describes a monk who 巡りながら ('while traveling around') various temples. Option 4 めぐり is correct.

• 1さわり is the reading for 触り (さわり), from 触る, meaning 'to touch' — unrelated to traveling around.
• 2たどり is the reading for 辿り (たどり), from 辿る, meaning 'to trace, to follow (a path)' — plausible but a different kanji and nuance; 巡る is めぐる.
• 3まわり is the reading for 回り (まわり), from 回る, meaning 'to turn, to go around' — a near-synonym, but the kanji 巡る is specifically read めぐる, not まわる.

• 巡めぐる — to go around, to travel around, to make a circuit of
• 回まわる — to turn, to rotate, to go around
• 辿たどる — to trace, to follow (a path)
• 触さわる — to touch

遺跡 is read いせき, meaning 'ruins' or 'archaeological site.' The sentence says: 'Through the excavation of newly discovered ruins, the conventional understanding of ancient people's lives was revised.' 遺跡 is a common word in archaeology contexts, and いせき is the standard reading.

• 2いそう is not a valid reading for 遺跡. It may be confused with words like 位相 (いそう, 'phase/level') or 遺送, but it does not apply here.
• 3けんせき is not a valid reading. The kanji 遺 is not read けん; this may be a distractor based on a misreading of the kanji.
• 4けんそう is not a valid reading for 遺跡 either. けんそう could be confused with 健勝 (けんしょう) or other lookalike words, but it is incorrect here.

• 遺跡いせき — ruins, archaeological site
• 発掘はっくつ — excavation, digging up
• 従来じゅうらい — conventional, up to now
• 認識にんしき — understanding, recognition

発掘 is read はっくつ, meaning 'excavation' or 'digging up.' The kanji 発 undergoes rendaku-like assimilation before く, producing はっくつ (the つ of 発 becomes っ). This is the standard reading and fits the context of excavating ruins.

• 2はっしゅつ is the reading of 発出 (はっしゅつ, 'issuance'), not 発掘. The kanji 掘 is read くつ, not しゅつ — this is a deliberate distractor using a similar-looking kanji 出.
• 3ほっくつ is incorrect. The first kanji 発 is read はつ/はっ, not ほつ/ほっ. This may confuse learners who misremember the reading of 発.
• 4ほっしゅつ is incorrect on both counts: 発 is not read ほっ, and 掘 is not read しゅつ. This combines both wrong elements of options 2 and 3.

• 発掘はっくつ — excavation, unearthing
• 遺跡いせき — ruins, archaeological site

従来 is read じゅうらい, meaning 'conventional,' 'up to now,' or 'heretofore.' The sentence says: 'Through the excavation of newly discovered ruins, the conventional understanding of ancient people's lives was revised.' 従来の認識 = 'the conventional understanding.' The reading じゅうらい is the only correct one.

• 1しゅうらい is not a valid reading for 従来. It may be confused with 修来 or 収来, but it is incorrect here.
• 3しょうらい is the reading of 将来 (しょうらい, 'future'), not 従来. This is a deliberate distractor using a similar-sounding word.
• 4じょうらい is not a valid reading for 従来. It may be confused with 上来 or other words, but it does not apply.

• 従来じゅうらい — conventional, up to now, heretofore
• 認識にんしき — understanding, recognition
• 改あらためる — to revise, to change

認識 is read にんしき, meaning 'understanding,' 'recognition,' or 'awareness.' The sentence says: 'Through the excavation of newly discovered ruins, the conventional understanding of ancient people's lives was revised.' 認識が改められた = 'the understanding was revised.' The kanji 認 is read にん, and 識 is read しき.

• 1けんしき is not a valid reading for 認識. The kanji 認 is not read けん; this may be confused with 見識 (けんしき) or other words.
• 2じょうしき is the reading of 常識 (じょうしき, 'common sense'), not 認識. This is a deliberate distractor using a semantically related word.
• 4はくしき is not a valid reading for 認識. The kanji 認 is not read はく; this may be confused with 博識 (はくしき, 'well-read/learned'), another semantically related distractor.

• 認識にんしき — understanding, recognition, awareness
• 改あらためる — to revise, to correct

把握 is read はあく, meaning 'grasp,' 'comprehension,' or 'understanding (of a situation).' The sentence says: 'He has a good grasp of the entire organization.' 把握している = 'is grasping/understanding.' The kanji 把 is read は (or はあ), and 握 is read あく.

• 2はおく is incorrect. The kanji 握 is read あく, not おく. This is a deliberate distractor with a similar-looking/sounding option.
• 3わあく is incorrect. The kanji 把 is read は, not わ. This may confuse learners who misread the kanji 把 as something resembling わ.
• 4わおく is incorrect on both counts: 把 is not read わ, and 握 is not read おく. This combines both wrong elements of options 2 and 3.

• 把握はあく — grasp, comprehension, understanding (of a situation)
• 組織そしき — organization