N2 Grammar · Test 40

The correct answer is 4 (想像する). The pattern V-辞書形 + だけで means 'just doing X is enough to cause ~' or 'merely doing X triggers ~.' 想像するだけで涙が出る means 'Just imagining it makes tears come.' The dictionary form is required before だけで in this construction.

• 1想像して — The て-form before だけで is ungrammatical in this pattern. してだけで is not a valid construction; the dictionary form 想像する is needed.
• 2想像しよう — The volitional form (しよう) does not fit the V-辞書形 + だけで pattern. It would mean 'let's imagine,' which makes no sense here.
• 3想像しない — The negative form (しない) before だけで is ungrammatical and semantically opposite. 'Just NOT imagining it makes tears come' is nonsensical.

• 想像そうぞうする — to imagine
• 〜だけで — just (doing) ~ is enough to; merely ~ causes
• 真っ暗な（まっくらな） — pitch-dark
• 残のこされる — to be left behind (passive of 残す)

The correct answer is 1 (なって). The pattern V-て + はじめて means 'only after doing X (for the first time) did I realize/understand ~.' なってはじめて = 'only after I came to live alone.' The sentence means: 'Only after I started living alone did I understand how truly precious my family is.' The て-form is required before はじめて.

• 2なれば — V-ば + はじめて is not a valid pattern. はじめて requires the て-form (なってはじめて). なれば would need a different continuation (なればわかる = 'if you become (that), you'll understand'), but it doesn't pair with はじめて.
• 3なりつつ — つつ means 'while doing ~ / although doing ~' (e.g., 悪いと知りつつ). なりつつはじめて is grammatically invalid; つつ doesn't connect to はじめて.
• 4ならずに — ずに means 'without doing ~.' ならずにはじめて would mean 'without becoming (that), for the first time...' which is both grammatically awkward and semantically nonsensical here.

• 〜てはじめて — only after doing ~ (did I realize/understand for the first time)
• 暮くらす — to live, to get along in life
• ありがたい — precious, something to be grateful for

The correct answer is 4. わたって. The pattern 〜にわたって means 'spanning / extending over (a range or period).' Here, 200メートルにわたって桜の並木が続いている means 'cherry-blossom trees continue spanning 200 meters from here.' The phrase 200メートルにわたって naturally describes a spatial (or temporal) extent, which fits perfectly.

• 1沿って（そうって）means 'along,' used with a route or line you follow (e.g., 川に沿って 'along the river'). You cannot say 200メートルに沿って because 200メートル is a length/extent, not a path to follow.
• 2応じて（おうじて）means 'in proportion to / in response to,' used when something changes according to something else (e.g., 収入に応じて 'according to income'). It does not describe spatial extent.
• 3際して（さいして）means 'on the occasion of / when doing something formal' (e.g., 開会に際して 'on the occasion of the opening'). It is unrelated to describing a span of distance.

• にわたって — spanning, extending over (a range, period, or area)
• 沿そうって — along (a route, line, river, etc.)
• 応おうじて — in proportion to, in response to
• 際さいして — on the occasion of, when (formal)

The correct answer is 2. だって. だれだって is an emphatic expression meaning 'anybody at all / everyone without exception.' The sentence means 'If you hear that those two got married, anybody would be surprised.' だって attached to question words like だれ, どこ, なに conveys 'any~ at all' in a colloquial, emphatic tone.

• 1さえ means 'even.' だれさえ is grammatically unusual and does not produce the natural 'anyone would...' reading. さえ typically attaches to nouns like 子供さえ 'even a child.'
• 3までも means 'even (to the extent of).' だれまでも is not a standard set phrase and sounds unnatural here; までも is used like 親友にまで裏切られる 'betrayed even by a close friend.'
• 4ばかり means 'only / just' or 'about to.' だればかり does not form a meaningful phrase and cannot convey 'anyone.'

• だって — even; anyone/anything at all (attached to question words: だれだって, どこだって, etc.)
• さえ — even (minimum/maximum extreme)
• までも — even (to the surprising extent of)
• ばかり — only, just; nothing but

The correct answer is 4. ところか (intended as どころか). The grammar pattern 〜どころか means 'far from ~ing; not only is X not the case, but actually Y.' The sentence means 'The doctor said it would heal in two or three days, but far from getting better, it has gotten worse and worse.' よくなるどころか…ますます悪くなってきた is the classic contrastive structure where the expected positive outcome is negated by an opposite result.

• 1ところに means 'just when / at the point when,' used to describe timing (e.g., 出かけようとしているところに 'just as I was about to leave'). It does not express the 'far from' contrast needed here.
• 2ところも is not a standard grammar pattern. ところ can mean 'state/situation,' but ところも does not create the contrastive meaning required.
• 3どころて is not a valid grammar pattern. It appears to be a distractor that combines the correct initial ど with a wrong ending て instead of か.

• どころか — far from ~ing; instead of ~ (used to show the opposite of what was expected actually happened)
• ところに — just when, at the moment when

The sentence means 'In Japan, June has the latest sunset of the year, and it doesn't get dark even at 7 o'clock.' The pattern 〜ても with a negative means 'even if/when ~, it does not ~' (〜ても〜ない). Here 7時になっても暗くなりません = 'even when it becomes 7:00, it doesn't get dark.' This matches the context of long daylight hours in June.

• 1なると means 'when it becomes ~' (conditional/temporal), which does not pair naturally with the negative 暗くなりません to express 'even at 7:00.'
• 3なって is the て-form of なる; it cannot connect to 暗くなりません here because there is no conjunction meaning 'even.'
• 4なれば is the conditional ば-form 'if it becomes ~,' which does not express 'even when/at ~' and does not fit the negative predicate.

• 日が暮れる（ひがくれる） — the sun sets; it gets dark
• 〜ても — even if/when ~; ~ but still

The sentence means 'I just heard the earthquake news there now.' The pattern 〜たばかりです means 'just did ~ / have just done ~,' describing something that happened very recently. 聞いたばかりです = 'I have just heard it.' This fits 今 (now) perfectly.

• 1うち means 'while ~ / during ~' (〜うちに), which does not express 'just did.'
• 2ほど means 'to the extent that ~ / about ~,' which does not fit 'just heard.'
• 4かぎり means 'as far as ~ / as long as ~,' which does not express recency.

• 〜たばかり — just did ~; have only just done ~
• 地震じしん — earthquake

The sentence means 'It does not necessarily mean you can do it right away just because you heard the explanation.' The fixed pattern 〜からといって〜というものでもない means 'just because ~, it does not mean that ~.' So 説明を聞いたからといって = 'just because you heard the explanation.' This is the correct connector.

• 1としても means 'even if ~ / even assuming ~,' which does not form the 'just because' pattern with から.
• 2としたら means 'if ~ / assuming ~,' which does not pair with から to mean 'just because.'
• 3といえば means 'speaking of ~ / when it comes to ~,' a topic-introduction expression, not the 'just because' pattern.

• 〜からといって〜というものでもない — just because ~, it does not necessarily mean that ~
• 説明せつめい — explanation

The sentence means 'For me, growing flowers is my greatest pleasure.' The pattern 〜にとって means 'to/for (someone); from the standpoint of ~.' わたしにとって一番の楽しみ = 'my greatest pleasure / the greatest pleasure for me.' This is the correct expression.

• 1ついて (について) means 'about / regarding ~,' which does not express 'for (someone).'
• 2たいして (対して) means 'toward / against ~' or 'in contrast to ~,' not 'for (someone) in particular.'
• 4つれて (〜につれて) means 'as ~ changes, ~ also changes,' which does not fit here.

• 〜にとって — for (someone); to (someone); from the standpoint of ~
• 花はなづくり — flower growing; gardening
• 楽たのしみ — pleasure; enjoyment

The sentence means 'The housing problem is becoming serious in step with the population increase in the city center.' The pattern 〜にともなう (伴う) means 'accompanied by ~ / along with ~,' linking a noun. 人口増加にともなう住宅問題 = 'the housing problem accompanying the population increase.' This correctly modifies 住宅問題.

• 1なった (〜になった) means 'became ~,' which does not connect properly to 住宅問題 as a modifier meaning 'accompanying.'
• 2して (〜にして) means 'by means of ~ / at ~,' which does not express 'along with.'
• 4そった (〜に沿った) means 'in line with ~ / following ~ (a guideline/plan),' which is semantically wrong for a causal/accompanying relationship with population increase.

• 〜にともなう — accompanied by ~; along with ~; in proportion to ~
• 都心としん — city center; downtown
• 深刻化しんこくか — becoming serious/severe