N1 Vocabulary · Test 71

裂く（さく）means 'to tear, to rip (cloth, paper).' 布を裂いて means 'tearing cloth (to make strings).' The te-form is 裂いて（さいて）.

• 2といて could correspond to 溶く（とく, to dissolve/mix）or 解く（とく, to untie/solve）, neither of which means 'to tear cloth.'
• 3ほどいて is 解く/ほどく（to untie, to unravel）, specifically undoing something tied or sewn. The context is tearing cloth to make strings, not unraveling.
• 4やぶいて is not standard; 破く（やぶく, to tear/rip paper or cloth）would be やぶいて, but the kanji here is 裂く, which is read さく, not やぶく. This is a deliberate distractor using a near-synonym with the wrong reading for the given kanji.

• 裂さく — to tear, to rip (cloth, paper)
• 布ぬの — cloth, fabric
• ひも — string, cord

侮辱（ぶじょく）means 'insult, humiliation.' 侮 is read ぶ (as in 侮辱) and 辱 is read じょく (as in 侮辱, 屈辱). The sentence says that if you commit an act that insults others, you may be sued and required to provide compensation.

• 1かいじょく is not a real word; it misuses かい for 侮 (perhaps confusing with 解 or 悔).
• 2かいしょく is not a real word; it similarly misuses かい for 侮 and しょく for 辱.
• 4ぶしょく gets the first kanji right (ぶ) but uses a wrong reading しょく for 辱; the correct reading is じょく. This is a deliberate near-miss distractor.

• 侮辱ぶじょく — insult, humiliation
• 訴訟そしょう — lawsuit, litigation
• 償つぐない — compensation, atonement

行為 is read こうい, meaning 'act, conduct, behavior.' In the sentence, 他人を侮辱するような行為をすれば means 'if you engage in conduct that insults others.' Option 2 correctly gives this reading.

• 1こうぎ is not a valid reading for 行為. It may be confused with 抗議 (こうぎ, 'protest').
• 3ぎょうぎ is the reading for 行儀 (ぎょうぎ, 'manners/behavior'), a different word with different kanji.
• 4ぎょうい is not a valid reading for any common word with these kanji.

• 行為こうい — act, conduct, behavior
• 侮辱ぶじょく — insult, humiliation
• 訴訟そしょう — lawsuit, litigation
• 償つぐない — compensation, atonement

訴訟 is read そしょう, meaning 'lawsuit, litigation.' 訴訟を起こされる means 'to be sued (have a lawsuit brought against you).' Option 1 correctly gives this reading.

• 2せっしょう is not a valid reading for 訴訟. It may be confused with 切磋 (せっさ) or 殺生 (せっしょう).
• 3そこう is not a valid reading for 訴訟. It may be confused with 素行 (そこう, 'conduct/behavior').
• 4せっこう is not a valid reading for 訴訟. It may be confused with 石膏 (せっこう, 'plaster') or 折衝 (せっしょう).

• 訴訟そしょう — lawsuit, litigation

償い is read つぐない, the noun form of 償う (つぐなう, 'to compensate, to atone'). 償いを求められる means 'may be demanded to make compensation.' Option 2 correctly gives this reading.

• 1つきあい is 付き合い, meaning 'association/socializing,' a completely different word.
• 3あつかい is 扱い, meaning 'handling/treatment,' a different word.
• 4あらそい is 争い, meaning 'dispute/conflict,' a different word.

• 償つぐない — compensation, atonement (noun form of 償う)

人質 is read ひとじち, 'hostage.' The criminal is in a room with a hostage — option 1 is correct.

• 2にんじち is an incorrect reading; 人 is sometimes read にん in compounds, but here it is ひと, and 質 is じち, not じち with にん.
• 3にんしち is incorrect; neither the reading of 人 nor 質 matches properly.
• 4ひとしち is incorrect; 質 in this word is じち, not しち.

• 人質ひとじち — hostage
• 犯人はんにん — criminal, offender
• 端はし — edge, end

端 is read はし, 'edge/end (of something).' The room is at the edge/end of the building — option 4 is correct.

• 1すみ（隅）means 'corner (inner corner).' While similar, it is a different word/kanji, not 端.
• 2おく（奥）means 'inner part/depths.' This is a different concept from 'edge.'
• 3かど（角）means 'corner (outer corner).' Again a different word, not the reading of 端.

• 端はし — edge, end
• 人質ひとじち — hostage
• 建物たてもの — building

把握 is read はあく. It means 'to grasp, to comprehend (a situation).' The kanji 把 combines with 握 to form a compound where 把 takes the on-reading は (from its kan-on) and 握 takes あく (from its kan-on). The sentence means: 'It is wise to grasp the situation, recognize the problems, and deal with them immediately.'

• 1ひあく is incorrect. There is no reading starting with ひ for 把 in this compound. This is a distractor using a wrong initial sound.
• 3はおく is incorrect. 握 is never read おく. This swaps the second syllable for a plausible-looking but non-existent reading.
• 4ひおく is incorrect. Neither syllable is correct; this combines two wrong readings.

• 把握はあく — grasp, comprehend (a situation)
• 事態じたい — situation, state of affairs
• 対処たいしょ — deal with, cope with
• 賢明けんめい — wise, sensible

認識 is read にんしき. It means 'recognition, awareness, understanding.' 認 takes the on-reading にん and 識 takes the on-reading しき. The sentence means: 'It is wise to grasp the situation, recognize the problems, and deal with them immediately.'

• 1じんしき is incorrect. 認's on-reading is にん, not じん. This is a distractor that mimics the common pattern where 人 is read じん (e.g., 人口 じんこう), but it does not apply here.
• 2にんしょく is incorrect. 識 is read しき, not しょく. This distractor uses a wrong vowel in the second element.
• 4じんしょく is incorrect. Both elements are wrong; this combines the distractors from options 1 and 2.

• 認識にんしき — recognition, awareness, understanding
• 把握はあく — grasp, comprehend
• 直ただちに — immediately, at once

賢明 is read けんめい. It means 'wise, sensible, prudent.' 賢 takes the on-reading けん and 明 takes the on-reading めい. The sentence means: 'It is wise to grasp the situation, recognize the problems, and deal with them immediately.'

• 1けんみょう is incorrect. 明 is read めい here, not みょう. This distractor uses a plausible but wrong reading for the second kanji.
• 2かんめい is incorrect. 賢 is read けん, not かん. This swaps the vowel in the first element.
• 3かんみょう is incorrect. Both elements are wrong; this combines the distractors from options 1 and 2.

• 賢明けんめい — wise, sensible, prudent
• 事態じたい — situation, state of affairs
• 対処たいしょ — deal with, cope with