N1 Vocabulary · Test 81

何度も is the correct choice. しきりに (頻りに) means 'repeatedly, frequently, persistently' — doing something many times in succession. The sentence means: 'My friend was listening to the story while nodding repeatedly.' 何度も ('many times, repeatedly') captures this meaning well.

• 1小さく (ちいさく) means 'small(ly).' しきりに describes frequency, not size. One might nod 小さく, but that describes the manner/size of the nod, not the frequency.
• 2時々 (ときどき) means 'sometimes, occasionally.' This is the opposite of しきりに, which implies frequent/repeated action, not occasional.
• 3大きく (おおきく) means 'large(ly).' Like option 1, this describes the size/manner of the nod, not the frequency that しきりに conveys.

• しきりに — repeatedly, frequently, persistently
• うなずく — to nod (one's head)

相手 (あいて) is the correct choice. 先方 (せんぽう) means 'the other party, the other side, the counterpart' — typically used in business contexts to refer to the person/company you are dealing with. The sentence means: 'After confirming with the other party, we finalized the contents of the proposal.' 相手 ('partner, other party, counterpart') is the closest synonym.

• 1専門家 (せんもんか) means 'expert, specialist.' 先方 does not refer to an expert; it refers to the other party in a transaction or negotiation.
• 2全員 (ぜんいん) means 'everyone, all members.' 先方 refers specifically to the other party, not to everyone.
• 4上司 (じょうし) means 'boss, superior.' While one might confirm with a boss, 先方 specifically means the counterpart/other party, not one's own superior.

• 先方せんぽう — the other party, the counterpart, the other side
• 企画書きかくしょ — proposal, planning document

悪く言われる is the correct choice. けなされる (貶される) means 'to be belittled, to be disparaged, to be spoken badly of.' The sentence means: 'I never expected to be criticized/bad-mouthed this much.' 悪く言われる ('to be spoken ill of, to be bad-mouthed') is the closest paraphrase.

• 2高く評価される (たかくひょうかされる) means 'to be highly evaluated/praised.' This is the opposite of けなされる, which is negative.
• 3反対される (はんたいされる) means 'to be opposed.' Being belittled (けなされる) is different from being opposed; one can oppose something without belittling it.
• 4喜ばれる (よろこばれる) means 'to be welcomed, to be received with joy.' This is completely opposite to けなされる.

• けなす — to belittle, to disparage, to speak badly of
• 貶けなす — to belittle, to disparage

おっくうだ（億劫だ）means 'troublesome, tedious, bothersome' — feeling reluctant to do something because it seems like a hassle. 面倒だ (めんどうだ) is the closest synonym among the choices, meaning 'troublesome, a bother.' Yamada says 'it's a hassle' like a catchphrase, so 3 fits perfectly.

• 1平気だ（へいきだ）means 'unconcerned, not bothered, fine' — the opposite nuance of おっくうだ.
• 2愉快だ（ゆかいだ）means 'amusing, funny, pleasant' — unrelated to feeling reluctant.
• 4退屈だ（たいくつだ）means 'boring, dull' — describes lack of stimulation, not the feeling that something is a hassle.

• おっくうだ — troublesome, tedious; reluctant to do something because it feels like a hassle
• 口癖くちぐせ — catchphrase, habit of saying something
• 面倒めんどうだ — troublesome, a bother
• 平気へいきだ — unconcerned, not bothered
• 愉快ゆかいだ — amusing, pleasant
• 退屈たいくつだ — boring, dull

広大（こうだい）means 'vast, spacious, extensive' and is used for large physical areas/spaces. '緑が多い広大なキャンパス' (a vast, green campus) is a natural and correct usage, describing a physically large area.

• 1打撃（だげき）takes adjectives like 大きな or 深刻な, not 広大な. 広大 describes physical spaciousness, not the scale of an impact.
• 3業種（ぎょうしゅ）are categories, not physical spaces; 広大な業種 is unnatural. 多くの or 幅広い would be appropriate instead.
• 4ビル is a building/structure; one would say 大きなビル or 高層ビル, not 広大なビル. 広大 implies a sprawling open area, not a single building.

• 広大こうだい — vast, spacious, extensive (describing large physical areas)
• キャンパス — campus
• 打撃だげき — blow, damage, impact
• 業種ぎょうしゅ — type of industry, business category

手がかり (てがかり) means 'clue, hint, lead' — information that helps solve a problem or mystery. The sentence says 'To solve the problem, I want a little more (clue).' Option 4, ヒント ('hint'), is the closest synonym.

• 1イメージ ('image') refers to a mental picture or impression, not a clue for solving a problem.
• 2サポート ('support') means assistance or backing, which is broader and different from a specific clue/hint.
• 3チャンス ('chance/opportunity') refers to an opportunity, not information that helps solve a problem.

• 手てがかり — clue, hint, lead

にわかには (俄かには) means 'suddenly, immediately, all at once.' The phrase にわかには信じられない means 'I can't believe it right away / at once.' Option 1, すぐには ('immediately / right away'), is the correct paraphrase.

• 2完全には ('completely') changes the meaning to 'can't completely believe,' which is different from 'can't believe right away.'
• 3すなおには (素直には) means 'frankly/obediently,' which does not match the temporal nuance of にわか.
• 4簡単には ('easily') is plausible but にわか focuses on the suddenness/immediacy of the action (すぐに), not on ease (簡単に).

• にわか — sudden, immediate; にわかには — suddenly, all at once

重宝する (ちょうほうする) means 'to find something handy/convenient, to treasure something for its usefulness.' The sentence says 'I find this pot convenient and useful.' Option 4, 便利で役に立っている ('convenient and useful'), is the correct paraphrase.

• 1以前より値上がりしている ('has gone up in price compared to before') is about price change, unrelated to 重宝する.
• 2形が気に入っている ('I like its shape') describes aesthetic preference, not the practical usefulness that 重宝する conveys.
• 3評価が高まっている ('its reputation/evaluation is rising') is about external assessment, not personal convenience.

• 重宝ちょうほうする — to find something convenient and useful; to prize something for its usefulness

シビア (severe) is a loanword meaning strict, harsh, or uncompromising. 中村さんは仕事に対していつもシビアだ means 'Nakamura-san is always strict about work.' Option 2, 厳しい (きびしい, strict), is the correct synonym.

• 1弱気だ (よわきだ) means 'weak-spirited, timid,' the opposite tone of シビア.
• 3柔軟だ (じゅうなんだ) means 'flexible, adaptable,' which is the opposite of being strict/severe.
• 4注意深い (ちゅういぶかい) means 'careful, attentive.' While a strict person may be careful, it does not capture the severity/strictness of シビア.

• シビア — strict, severe, harsh (loanword from 'severe')
• 厳きびしい — strict, severe
• 弱気よわき — weak-spirited, timid
• 柔軟じゅうなん — flexible, adaptable
• 注意深ちゅういぶかい — careful, attentive

連携 (れんけい) means cooperation/coordination between separate organizations or groups working together toward a common goal. Option 1, '学校は地域と連携して生徒の安全を守っている' (The school cooperates with the community to protect students' safety), correctly uses 連携 to describe inter-organization coordination.

• 2複数の社員で一台のプリンターを連携して使っている — sharing one printer among employees is 共有 (きょうゆう, sharing), not 連携. 連携 implies coordinated action between groups, not merely sharing equipment.
• 3最近の株価は、為替レートと連携して上下している — stock prices moving in relation to exchange rates is 連動 (れんどう, linked/fluctuating together), not 連携. Also note '為替レール' appears to be a typo for 為替レート, but this is in the options so we flag it separately.
• 4登山のときには、必ず地図を連携してください — you cannot 連携 a map; you would 持参 (じさん, bring) or 確認 (かくにん, confirm) a map. 連携 requires multiple parties coordinating.

• 連携れんけい — cooperation, coordination (between groups/organizations)
• 為替レート（かわせレート） — exchange rate
• 連動れんどう — linkage, moving in coordination