N2 Grammar · Test 2

Option 4, だらけ, is correct. The suffix だらけ attaches to a noun and means 'covered in' or 'full of', usually with something negative or undesirable. ほこりだらけ means 'covered in dust'. The sentence means: 'The back of the TV quickly becomes covered in dust.' This fits perfectly with the verb になる ('become').

• 1きり (kiri) means 'only' or 'just' (e.g., 一人きり 'all alone'), or is used as a verb suffix meaning 'to finish completely' (e.g., 食べきる). ほこりきり is not a valid expression and does not convey 'covered in dust'.
• 2じゅう (juu) is a suffix meaning 'throughout' or 'all over' a place/time (e.g., 世界中 'all over the world', 一日中 'all day long'). ほこりじゅう is not grammatical in this context; you cannot attach じゅう to a substance like dust to mean 'covered in'.
• 3ぐらい (gurai) means 'about' or 'approximately' (e.g., 3つぐらい 'about three'), or indicates a minimum degree (e.g., 子供ぐらいできる 'can do it at a child's level'). ほこりぐらい would mean 'about (that much) dust', which does not fit the pattern Xになってしまう ('becomes X').

• ほこり — dust
• だらけ — covered in, full of (suffix attached to a noun, usually something negative, e.g., 泥だらけ 'covered in mud', 間違いだらけ 'full of mistakes')
• きり — only, just (e.g., 一人きり 'all alone')
• じゅう — throughout, all over (e.g., 部屋中 'all over the room')
• ぐらい — about, approximately; to the extent/degree of

The sentence means: 'The interesting thing about cooking is that even with cheap ingredients, you can make a gorgeous feast depending on your ingenuity.' The correct order is: 安い材料でも 工夫(2) 次第で(4) 豪華な(3) ごちそう(1) ができるところです。The ★ is the third slot, which is 豪華な(3). The grammar pattern 工夫次第で means 'depending on one's ingenuity/effort,' and it modifies the noun phrase 豪華なごちそうができる ('can make a gorgeous feast').

• 1ごちそう(1) is a noun meaning 'feast/lavish meal.' It belongs in the final slot before ができる, not in the ★ position. Placing it third would break the adjective+noun structure.
• 2工夫(2) is the first word in the clause, starting the pattern 工夫次第で. It must come before 次第で(4), so it cannot be in the ★ (third) position.
• 4次第で(4) attaches to 工夫(2) to form 工夫次第で. It must immediately follow 工夫, so it belongs in the second slot, not the third.

• 工夫くふう — ingenuity, resourcefulness, effort
• 次第しだいで — depending on~ (grammar pattern: N+次第で)
• 豪華ごうかな — gorgeous, lavish, splendid
• ごちそう — feast, special meal

Tanaka says his son's high school entrance ceremony was yesterday. Yamada responds: 'Your son is already a high school student too? That's fast.' The correct order is: 田中さんの 息子さん(2) も(4) もう(1) 高校生(3) ですか。The ★ is the third slot, which is もう(1). The particle も ('also/too') follows 息子さん, and もう ('already') comes before 高校生 to express surprise at how quickly time has passed.

• 2息子さん(2) is the subject noun and must come first after 田中さんの, right after the first blank. It cannot be in the ★ (third) position.
• 3高校生(3) is the noun that completes the predicate 高校生ですか. It must come last, right before ですか, so it belongs in the fourth slot, not the third.
• 4も(4) is the inclusive particle meaning 'also/too.' It attaches to 息子さん(2), so it must be in the second slot immediately after 息子さん, not in the ★ position.

• もう — already
• 高校生こうこうせい — high school student
• 入学式にゅうがくしき — entrance ceremony

The sentence means: 'Looking at voter turnout in parliamentary elections around the world by generation, we can see that it is not limited to our country — the turnout of young generations tends to be considerably low.' The correct order is: 若い世代の 投票率は(3) 我が国に限らず(1) 相当的に低い(4) 傾向がある(2) ことがわかる。The ★ is the third slot, which is 相当的に低い(4). The phrase 我が国に限らず ('not just our country') modifies the whole clause, and 相当的に低い modifies 傾向がある.

• 1我が国に限らず(1) means 'not limited to our country.' It comes right after 投票率は(3) to set the scope, so it belongs in the second slot, not the ★ (third) position.
• 2傾向がある(2) means 'there is a tendency to~.' It is the final predicate before ことがわかる, so it must be in the fourth slot, not the third.
• 3投票率は(3) is the topic noun phrase that follows 若い世代の. It must be in the first slot right after 若い世代の, not in the ★ position.

• 我が国に限らず（わがくににかぎらず） — not limited to our country
• 投票率とうひょうりつ — voter turnout
• 相当そうとうに — considerably, quite
• 傾向けいこうがある — there is a tendency to~

The sentence means: 'My 5-year-old daughter says she wants to become a police officer like me. Whether she actually becomes one in the future is another matter, but I was moved that she said such a thing to me.' The correct order is: 本当に将来 なるかどうかは(4) 別として(1) そんなことを(2) 言ってくれたことに(3) 感激した。The ★ is the third slot, which is そんなことを(2). The pattern 〜は別として ('setting aside whether~') introduces a concession, and then そんなことを言ってくれたことに感激した expresses the speaker's emotion about what the daughter said.

• 1別として(1) means 'setting aside~' and attaches to なるかどうかは(4) to form なるかどうかは別として. It must be in the second slot, not the ★ (third) position.
• 3言ってくれたことに(3) is the phrase that connects to 感激した ('was moved that she said~'). It must come right before 感激した, so it belongs in the fourth slot, not the third.
• 4なるかどうかは(4) means 'whether or not (she) will become.' It starts the concessive clause and must be in the first slot right after 将来, not in the ★ position.

• 別べつとして — setting aside~, leaving~ aside (〜は別として)
• 感激かんげきした — was deeply moved/touched
• なるかどうかは — whether or not (she) will become

The sentence means: 'The reason why the players, who should have been frustrated after losing the game, somehow had bright expressions was because the coach's policy is "be cheerful especially when it's tough."' The correct order is: 試合に負けて本当は 悔しいはずの(1) 選手たちが(4) なぜか(3) 明るい(2) 表情だったのは。The ★ is the first slot, which is 悔しいはずの(1). 悔しいはずの modifies 選手たちが ('the players who should be frustrated'), and なぜか明るい表情 ('somehow bright expressions') describes the unexpected contrast.

• 2明るい(2) is an adjective meaning 'bright/cheerful.' It modifies 表情 and must come right before 表情だったのは, so it belongs in the fourth slot, not the ★ (first) position.
• 3なぜか(3) means 'for some reason / somehow.' It comes before 明るい(2) to express the unexpected nature of the bright expressions, so it belongs in the third slot, not the first.
• 4選手たちが(4) means 'the players (subject).' It follows 悔しいはずの(1) as the noun being modified, so it belongs in the second slot, not the ★ position.

• 悔くやしい — frustrating, regrettable
• はずの — should be~ (expressing expectation)
• なぜか — for some reason, somehow
• 表情ひょうじょう — expression (on one's face)
• 方針ほうしん — policy, principle, guideline