N2 Grammar · Test 29

The pattern 「V-辞書形 + 一方だ」means 'continuing to ~ more and more' or 'on a one-way trend toward ~.' Here, 「あがる一方だ」= '(the unemployment rate) keeps rising.' The dictionary form (辞書形) is required before 「一方だ」.

• 2「あがり」is the ます-stem (連用形). The pattern 「～一方だ」requires the dictionary form, not the stem.
• 3「あがった」is the past tense. 「～一方だ」describes an ongoing trend and requires the dictionary form, not past tense.
• 4「あがるの」inserts 「の」, which is not part of the pattern. 「の一方だ」is ungrammatical.

• ～一方だ（～いっぽうだ） — continuing to ~ more and more; a one-way trend (requires V-辞書形)
• 失業率しつぎょうりつ — unemployment rate
• 景気けいき — economic conditions, business climate

The pattern 「～から～にかけて」means 'from ~ through/to ~,' indicating a span or range. Here, 「9月から10月にかけての時期」= 'the period from September through October.' The sentence recommends visiting Japan during that time range.

• 1「～にそって」means 'along ~' (e.g., along a river/coast). It does not express a time range.
• 3「～にわたって」means 'over/spanning ~' (emphasizing the extent or duration). While it can appear with time spans, the fixed pattern with 「から」is 「～から～にかけて」, not 「から～にわたって」. 「にわたって」typically follows a single noun, not 「AからB」.
• 4「～において」means 'in/at ~' (formal location or context marker). It does not express a range from one point to another.

• ～から～にかけて — from ~ through/to ~; spanning the period from A to B
• 訪おとずれる — to visit (a place)
• 時期じき — season, time, period

The pattern 「V-ずにはいられない」means 'cannot help but ~' / 'cannot resist ~ing.' It expresses an irresistible urge or emotional compulsion. Here, 「助けずにはいられない」= 'I can't help but help (them).' The negative form 「ず」+ 「にはいられない」creates the double-negative 'cannot not do ~.'

• 1「とも」does not form a valid pattern here. 「助けずといられない」is ungrammatical.
• 2「をも」does not form a valid pattern. 「助けずをもいられない」is ungrammatical.
• 4「では」does not form the correct pattern. The fixed expression is 「ずにはいられない」, not 「ずではいられない」.

• ～ずにはいられない — cannot help but ~; cannot resist doing ~ (V-ず + にはいられない)
• 困こまる — to be in trouble, to be distressed

The pattern 「～にしては」means 'for a ~' / 'considering that someone is a ~, (it is unexpected that...).' It expresses that the actual behavior or situation does not match what you would expect from that role/status. Here, 「タクシー運転手にしては道を知らない」= 'For a taxi driver, (he) doesn't know the roads (which is surprising).'

• 1「にすれば」means 'if (someone) makes it ~' or 'from the standpoint of ~.' It does not express the contrast between expectation and reality that 「にしては」does.
• 2「にするに」is not a complete grammatical pattern. It might resemble the start of 「にするにしても」but as written it is incomplete and ungrammatical here.
• 3「にすると」means 'if (someone) makes it ~' or 'when made into ~.' It expresses a conditional/sequential relationship, not the expectation-contrast meaning needed here.

• ～にしては — for a ~; considering that someone is ~, (unexpectedly)...
• タクシー運転手（タクシーうんてんしゅ） — taxi driver

The pattern 「〜のことだから」 means 'given that it is ~ / knowing ~, surely...'. Here, '有能なA君のことだから' = 'Knowing A-kun, who is capable, he will surely do a good job.' The speaker uses A-kun's known trait (有能, capable) as the basis for the prediction 'きっといい仕事をするだろう'.

• 1「ながら」means 'while/although' (e.g., ながらも). It does not fit the causal-reasoning pattern needed here.
• 2「にして」can mean 'at (age/time)' or 'even (someone like)'. While plausible-looking, it does not produce the 'given that it's him, surely...' nuance that だから provides.
• 4「にせよ」means 'even if / even supposing'. It would give a concessive nuance ('even if it's A-kun...'), which contradicts the confident prediction きっと...だろう.

• 有能ゆうのうな — capable, competent
• のことだから — given that it is ~ (used to make a prediction based on someone's known character/nature)

The correct answer is 1. を通じて. を通じて means 'through (a person or channel).' The sentence means 'I requested an interview with the president of Company A through Tanaka's father.' Here, Tanaka's father serves as the intermediary.

• 2をもとに means 'based on～' and is used when creating something from a source (e.g., a story based on facts). It does not mean 'through a person.'
• 3に基づき means 'based on～, in accordance with～' and refers to following rules, data, or plans. It does not convey using someone as an intermediary.
• 4に応じて means 'in response to～, according to～' and describes adapting to varying conditions. It does not fit the context of requesting an interview through someone.

• を通じて（をつうじて） — through (a person, channel, or intermediary)

The correct answer is 3. 最中. 最中 means 'right in the middle of～,' emphasizing that something is at its peak or most intense moment. 食事の最中だから ('because we're right in the middle of eating') naturally explains why one should refrain from smoking.

• 1中 (食事の中) is not a natural collocation with だから in this context. 中 attaches to verbs (食事中) rather than as 食事の中.
• 2際 (食事の際) means 'on the occasion of～' and refers to the general time/event, but lacks the sense of 'right in the middle of' that the context requires.
• 4うち (食事のうち) is not natural here. うち typically follows verbs (食事しているうちに) and does not pair well with だから to mean 'in the middle of.'

• 最中さいちゅう — right in the middle of～; at the height of～

The correct answer is 2. ようだ. The pattern まるで〜かのようだ means 'it is as if～,' expressing a strong simile. The sentence means 'It's only early March but it's very hot. It's as if it has become summer.' This is a fixed grammatical pattern.

• 1ぐらいだ (まるで夏になったかのぐらいだ) is not a standard pattern. ぐらい expresses degree, but まるで〜かのようだ is the established expression for 'as if.'
• 3みたい (まるで夏になったかのみたい) is grammatically non-standard. While みたい can mean 'seems like,' it does not combine with まるで〜かの in this way.
• 4らしい (まるで夏になったかのらしい) does not work. らしい expresses hearsay or typicality, not the simile meaning required by まるで.

• まるで〜かのようだ — it is as if～; it seems as though～ (strong simile pattern)

The correct answer is 3. ほど. ほど expresses degree or extent: 涙が出るほどありがたかった means 'I was so grateful that tears came / grateful to the point of tears.' This is a very common collocation.

• 1あまり (涙が出るあまり) would mean 'due to the excess of tears coming,' which is semantically backwards. あまり follows a noun (e.g., 感激のあまり) expressing an overwhelming emotion that causes a result, not the result itself.
• 2ため (涙が出るためありがたかった) means 'because tears come, I was grateful,' which reverses the causal relationship. The gratitude causes the tears, not the other way around.
• 4とき (涙が出るときありがたかった) means 'when tears come, I was grateful,' which does not express the degree of gratitude and is semantically unnatural.

• 〜ほど — to the extent that～; so much that～ (expressing degree)

わけがない means 'there is no way / it is impossible that.' The sentence こんなむずかしい問題はだれにも答えられるわけがない reads 'There is no way anyone can answer such a difficult problem,' which is logical and natural.

• 2にすぎない means 'merely / nothing more than.' Inserting it gives 'anyone can answer such a difficult problem, merely,' which is grammatically incomplete and semantically wrong.
• 3べきでない means 'should not.' The sentence would mean 'such a difficult problem should not be answered by anyone,' which is an odd prohibition and does not fit the intended meaning.
• 4にちがいない means 'must be / certainly.' This would yield 'anyone can certainly answer such a difficult problem,' which conveys the opposite of what the sentence intends.

• わけがない — there is no way; impossible (expresses strong conviction that something cannot be the case)
• にすぎない — merely; nothing more than
• べきでない — should not (negative of べき)
• にちがいない — must be; certainly (expresses strong conviction that something is the case)