N1 Vocabulary · Test 61

柔軟 is read じゅうなん, meaning 'flexible' or 'adaptable.' The sentence says: 'No matter what problem arises, (they) settle things flexibly and swiftly.' 柔軟かつ迅速に = 'flexibly and swiftly.' The kanji 柔 is read じゅう (long vowel), and 軟 is read なん.

• 1じゅうけつ is not a valid reading for 柔軟. The kanji 軟 is read なん, not けつ. This may be confused with 柔活 or other words, but it is incorrect.
• 2じゅけつ is incorrect. Not only is 軟 not read けつ, but the long vowel in 柔 (じゅう) is also shortened. This is a deliberate distractor combining two errors.
• 4じゅなん is incorrect. The kanji 柔 in this compound is read じゅう (with a long vowel), not じゅ. This tests whether the learner knows the correct long-vowel reading.

• 柔軟じゅうなん — flexible, adaptable
• 迅速じんそく — swift, prompt
• 収おさめる — to settle, to bring under control

迅速 is read じんそく, meaning 'swift, prompt, rapid.' The sentence means 'No matter what problem arises, settle things flexibly and promptly.' 柔軟かつ迅速に ('flexibly and promptly') modifies the verb phrase 事を収める ('settle the matter').

• 1さっそく is the reading of 早速, meaning 'immediately, right away.' It is a real word but corresponds to a different kanji and has a slightly different nuance (doing something without delay) rather than 'speedy/swift.'
• 3せっそく is not a valid reading for 迅速 or any common word. It is a plausible-looking distractor using the on-reading pattern.
• 4ぜんそく is the reading of 喘息 ('asthma'), a completely different word. It is a deliberate sound-alike distractor.

• 迅速じんそく — swift, prompt, rapid
• 柔軟じゅうなん — flexible, adaptable
• 早速さっそく — immediately, right away
• 喘息ぜんそく — asthma

崇拝 is read すうはい, meaning 'adoration, worship, veneration.' The sentence means 'There are also many subordinates who worship/adore him.' 崇 (すう) means 'to revere' and 拝 (はい) means 'to worship.'

• 2しゅうはい is not a valid reading for any common word. It is a distractor that uses a plausible on-reading for 崇.
• 3しょうはい is the reading of 勝敗 ('victory and defeat'), a completely different word. It is a deliberate sound-alike.
• 4そうはい is not a valid reading for 崇拝. It is a distractor that misreads 崇 as そう instead of すう.

• 崇拝すうはい — adoration, worship, veneration
• 勝敗しょうはい — victory and defeat
• 部下ぶか — subordinate

変遷 is read へんせん, meaning 'transition, changes over time, vicissitudes.' The sentence means 'Collecting materials on the transitions/changes in spoken language is not an easy task.' 変 (へん) means 'change' and 遷 (せん) means 'to move/change (over time).'

• 1へんさい is the reading of 返済 ('repayment'), a completely different word.
• 2へんさん is the reading of 編纂 ('compilation, editing'), a different word with a similar meaning domain (scholarly work) but wrong kanji.
• 3へんせい is the reading of words like 編成 ('organization, composition') or 変性 ('denaturation'), neither of which matches 変遷.

• 変遷へんせん — transition, changes over time
• 返済へんさい — repayment (of a loan)
• 編纂へんさん — compilation, editing
• 編成へんせい — organization, composition
• 話し言葉（はなしことば） — spoken language

容易 is read ようい, meaning 'easy, simple.' With the な suffix it becomes よういな. The sentence means 'Collecting materials on the transitions in spoken language is not an easy thing.' 容 (よう) means 'easy' and 易 (い) also means 'easy.'

• 1かんい is the reading of 簡易 ('simple, easy'), a near-synonym with a similar meaning. However, the kanji in the stem is 容易, not 簡易, so this is the wrong reading.
• 2かんえき is not a valid reading for any common word. It is a plausible-looking distractor blending sounds from 簡易 and 容易.
• 4ようえき is not a valid reading for any common word. It is a distractor that incorrectly combines the readings of 容 (よう) and 易 (えき instead of い).

• 容易ようい — easy, simple
• 簡易かんい — simple, easy (used in compounds like 簡易保険)

故障 is read こしょう. It means 'breakdown, malfunction, fault.' The sentence criticizes the recent bad habit of discarding machines as waste as soon as they malfunction.

• 1こしょ is a plausible shortening but not the correct reading; the long vowel こしょう is required.
• 2こうしょ is the reading of 公所 (public office) or 高所 (high place) — wrong kanji and wrong vowel length.
• 3こうしょう is the reading of 交渉 (negotiation) — a deliberate lookalike/soundalike distractor.

• 故障こしょう — breakdown, malfunction, fault

廃棄物 is read はいきぶつ. 廃(はい) means 'discard/abolish', 棄(き) means 'abandon/throw away', and 物(ぶつ) means 'thing/object'. Together: 'waste/discarded material'. The reading follows standard on'yomi: はい + き + ぶつ, with no gemination or vowel shift needed.

• 2はきぶつ incorrectly drops the い from 廃, misreading 廃 as はき instead of はい.
• 3はっきぶつ inserts an unwanted っ (gemination) between はい and き; this is a plausible-sounding trap but the correct reading has no small っ.
• 4はつきぶつ misreads 廃 as はつ instead of はい, confusing it with a different on'yomi.

• 廃棄物はいきぶつ — waste, discarded material, refuse

悪癖 is read あくへき. 悪(あく) means 'bad/evil' and 癖(へき) means 'habit/tic'. Together: 'bad habit'. Both characters use their standard on'yomi readings.

• 1わるくせ uses the kun'yomi of both characters (わる + くせ). While this is a natural Japanese compound reading, the established word 悪癖 is read with on'yomi あくへき.
• 2わるへき mixes kun'yomi わる for 悪 with on'yomi へき for 癖 — an inconsistent hybrid reading that is not used.
• 4あっくせ inserts an unwanted っ and uses kun'yomi くせ for 癖; this is a fabricated reading mixing on'yomi and kun'yomi incorrectly.

• 悪癖あくへき — bad habit, vicious habit

解消 is read かいしょう. 解(かい) means 'dissolve/resolve' and 消(しょう) means 'eliminate/cancel'. Together: 'eliminate/cancel/resolve (a problem, habit, etc.)'. The long vowel しょう (しょう) is essential.

• 1かいしょ drops the long vowel う, giving かいしょ instead of かいしょう. This is a common trap for long-vowel readings.
• 3げしょ misreads 解 as げ instead of かい and also drops the long vowel — doubly wrong.
• 4げしょう misreads 解 as げ instead of かい; only the long vowel is correct but the first character reading is wrong.

• 解消かいしょう — elimination, cancellation, resolution (of a problem, condition, etc.)

根底 is read こんてい. 根(こん) means 'root/foundation' and 底(てい) means 'bottom/base'. Together: 'foundation/basis/root'. The phrase 根底から means 'from the very foundation/from the roots'.

• 2こんでい misreads 底 as でい instead of てい — a voicing error (rendaku-like) that does not apply here.
• 3ねそこ uses kun'yomi for both characters (ね + そこ). While these are valid kun readings individually, the compound 根底 is read with on'yomi こんてい.
• 4ねぞこ uses kun'yomi for both characters with a voicing on 底 (そこ→ぞこ). This is not the established reading for this compound.

• 根底こんてい — foundation, basis, root