N2 Grammar · Test 41

The pattern 「〜ものなら」 attaches to the potential form of a verb and means 'if it is at all possible to…'. Here, 帰れる is the potential form of 帰る, so 「国に帰れるものなら帰りたい」 means 'If it is possible to go home, I would like to.' The speaker's schedule is tight, so the potential form expresses the condition of being able to return.

• 2帰る is the dictionary form, not the potential form. 「〜ものなら」 in this usage requires the potential form, so this does not fit grammatically.
• 3帰りたい already expresses desire, and the main clause already ends with 帰りたい, making it redundant. It also lacks the potential form needed before ものなら.
• 4帰ろう is the volitional form. It does not express the potential condition required by the pattern 「〜ものなら」.

• ものなら — if it is at all possible to… (attached to the potential form of a verb)
• 帰かえれる — can return (potential form of 帰る)
• スケジュールがつまっている — one's schedule is packed/tight

「〜を問わず」 means 'regardless of～' and is used to indicate that something applies without regard to a particular condition. 「年齢を問わず、誰でも受けられる」 means 'Regardless of age, anyone can take this exam.' This fits perfectly.

• 1「〜を通して」 means 'through～' or 'throughout～', indicating a means or a span of time. It does not express 'regardless of'.
• 2「〜にかけて」 means 'over (a period/time/range)' or 'when it comes to～'. It does not convey 'regardless of age'.
• 4「〜といわず」 means 'not just～' or 'not only～', used to say that something applies not only to X but also to other things. It does not mean 'regardless of'.

• を問わず（をとわず） — regardless of～, irrespective of～
• 年齢ねんれい — age
• を通して（をとおして） — through～, throughout～
• にかけて — over (a span)～, when it comes to～
• といわず — not just～, not only～ (implies other things too)

「〜おそれがある」 means 'there is a risk/fear that～' and is used for undesirable outcomes. 「大事故につながるおそれがある」 means 'there is a risk that it could lead to a major accident.' This matches the warning context perfectly.

• 1「〜気味」 means 'slightly～, tending to～' and attaches to the masu-stem of a verb (e.g., 疲れ気味). It does not pair with がある to express a risk.
• 2「〜一方」 means 'on one hand～' or 'more and more～ (一方だ)'. It does not express a risk or fear of an outcome.
• 4「〜あまり」 means 'due to excessive～' (e.g., 驚きのあまり). It does not pair with がある to mean 'there is a risk'.

• おそれがある — there is a risk/fear that～ (used for undesirable outcomes)
• 対策たいさく — countermeasures, measures
• つながる — to be connected to, to lead to
• 気味ぎみ — slightly, tending to (attached to a noun or verb stem)
• 一方いっぽう — on one hand; (〜一方だ) more and more
• あまり — due to excessive～ (attached to a noun)

「〜としたら」 means 'if we assume/suppose that～' or 'if～'. 「これだけの少ない予算で作るとしたら」 means 'If we are to make it with such a small budget,' followed by the conclusion 'we can only make about this much food at best.' This conditional fits the context of reasoning from a given situation.

• 1「〜としても」 means 'even if～/even assuming～'. While grammatically possible, the sentence is not expressing a concessive 'even if' idea; it is setting up a straightforward conditional leading to a natural conclusion, so としたら is the better fit.
• 3「〜といっても」 means 'even though one says～/although～', used to qualify or limit a statement. It does not set up a conditional hypothesis here.
• 4「〜というより」 means 'rather than～, it's more accurate to say～', used for rephrasing or correcting. It does not fit the conditional structure of this sentence.

• としたら — if we assume/suppose that～, if～
• としても — even if～, even assuming～
• といっても — even though one says～, although～
• というより — rather than～, it's more accurate to say～
• せいぜい — at best, at most

「〜あげく」 means 'after (doing something) / in the end, after a long process of～', and is attached to the ta-form of a verb. 「さんざん悩んだあげく」 means 'after worrying a great deal, in the end…', leading to the final decision of choosing University A. This perfectly matches the context of deliberation followed by a conclusion.

• 1「〜ことに」 is not a standard pattern meaning 'after～'. It does not convey the sense of 'after a long process, in the end'.
• 2「〜ほかに」 means 'besides～, other than～'. It does not express the sequence of deliberation followed by a final decision.
• 3「〜かぎり」 means 'as long as～, to the extent that～'. It does not convey 'after much deliberation, in the end'.

• あげく — after (a long process of)～, in the end (attached to the ta-form of a verb)
• さんざん — thoroughly, a great deal (used with negative/effortful actions)
• 悩なやむ — to worry, to agonize over a decision

The correct answer is 4 (話し). The pattern is 話しかける (はなしかける), meaning 'to start talking to someone / to address someone.' The stem says: 'Because (the person) looked young, I thought they were a student and tried talking to them, but it turned out they were the teacher.' The form 話しかけてみたら fits perfectly: 話し + かけてみたら. The verb 話す becomes the stem 話し before the suffix かける.

• 1話す is the dictionary form. 話すかけてみたら is ungrammatical; you need the V-stem (連用形) before かける, which is 話し, not the dictionary form.
• 2話さ is the negative stem (used before ない etc.). 話さかける is not a valid form.
• 3話せ is the potential/imperative stem (used before ば etc.). 話せかける is not a valid form.

• 話はなしかける — to start talking to someone, to address someone
• 〜かけてみる — to try doing something (starting an action and seeing how it goes)

The correct answer is 4 (に). The grammar pattern is 〜にあたり / 〜にあたって, meaning 'on the occasion of ~' or 'at the time of ~,' used with formal or ceremonial events. 開会にあたり = 'on the occasion of the opening.' The full sentence: 'On the occasion of the opening, I would like to receive some words from the company president.'

• 1を would require a transitive verb, but あたり is not used with を in this pattern.
• 2で would mean 'by means of' or 'at,' which does not fit the formal ceremonial pattern 〜にあたり.
• 3と does not form a valid pattern with あたり in this context.

• 〜にあたり — on the occasion of ~, at the time of ~ (formal)
• 開会かいかい — opening (of a meeting/ceremony)
• おことば — words, speech (honorific)

The correct answer is 4 (めぐって). The pattern is 〜をめぐって, meaning 'regarding ~' or 'concerning ~,' used when people are debating or discussing a topic from multiple angles. 環境問題の解決策をめぐって = 'regarding solutions to environmental problems.' The sentence: 'Regarding solutions to environmental problems, enthusiastic debate continues.'

• 1通じて means 'through / throughout' (〜を通じて). It does not convey the sense of debate surrounding a topic.
• 2まわって (〜をまわって) is not a standard grammar pattern for this context; まわる means 'to go around' but is not used in this abstract debate sense.
• 3こめて (〜をこめて) means 'with (feeling/emotion) put into ~,' e.g., 愛をこめて. It does not fit the context of debate about a topic.

• 〜をめぐって — regarding ~, concerning ~ (used when discussing/debating a topic from various angles)
• 解決策かいけつさく — solution, measure to resolve
• 議論ぎろん — discussion, debate

The correct answer is 3 (を). The pattern is 中を + motion verb, meaning 'through / amidst.' 拍手の中を退院していった = 'left the hospital amidst the applause.' The particle を here marks the space/medium through which movement occurs, which is a classic use of を with verbs of motion (like 歩く, 通る, 退院していく).

• 1が marks the subject, not the medium of movement. 拍手の中が退院していった is ungrammatical.
• 2に marks destination or location of existence, not the space traversed. 拍手の中に退院していった does not work with a motion verb in this way.
• 4まで means 'as far as / until.' 拍手の中まで退院していった would imply leaving 'as far as the middle of the applause,' which is nonsensical.

• 中なかを — through / amidst (used with motion verbs to indicate the medium/space traversed)
• 拍手はくしゅ — applause, clapping
• 退院たいいん — leaving the hospital, discharge

The correct answer is 1 (みた). The grammar pattern is V-たところで, meaning 'even if one does V, it is meaningless / won't change anything.' The sentence: 'If you originally have no intention of studying, what meaning is there even if you try taking the university exam?' The form is 受けてみたところで = 'even if (you) try taking (the exam).' The てみる (try doing) becomes てみた (past) before ところで.

• 2みる is the dictionary form. 〜たところで requires the past tense (た) form before it: 受けてみたところで, not 受けてみるところで.
• 3いる would give 受けているところで, meaning 'even if (you) are taking (the exam),' which does not convey the 'try doing' nuance and is not the standard pattern.
• 4いた would give 受けていたところで, meaning 'even if (you) had been taking (the exam),' which is grammatically possible but does not fit the てみる 'try' nuance that the sentence clearly intends.

• 〜たところで — even if ~ (implies the action is pointless or the result won't change)
• 〜てみる — to try doing something (to see what happens)