N2 Grammar · Test 6

を通して (をとおして) means 'through' or 'by means of.' The sentence says: 'Through seminar activities, you can acquire the ability to think logically about things.' This correctly expresses the means/channel by which a skill is acquired.

• 1とは is a topic marker meaning 'as for ~' or 'what is called ~.' It cannot express the means through which something is achieved, so it doesn't fit here.
• 2にも means 'also to ~' or 'even to ~,' indicating direction or addition. It doesn't connect 'seminar activities' with acquiring a skill.
• 3にとって means 'for (someone's perspective),' e.g., 私にとって 'for me.' It requires a person or entity as the noun before it, not an activity like ゼミでの活動.

• を通して（をとおして） — through; by means of (a process or activity)
• 論理的ろんりてきに — logically
• 身みにつける — to acquire (a skill); to master

なら means 'if it's ~' and is used to pick up a topic that has already been mentioned. Here, A asks about the pamphlet, and C responds: 'If it's the pamphlet (you're looking for), it's in that shelf.' なら naturally takes the already-mentioned noun as the topic.

• 2でも means 'even ~' or 'or something.' パンフレットでも would imply 'even a pamphlet' or 'a pamphlet or something,' which doesn't fit the context of locating a specific item.
• 3について means 'about ~' or 'regarding ~.' パンフレットについて would mean 'about the pamphlet,' which doesn't connect to 'it's in that shelf.'
• 4のことで is not a natural fixed expression in this context. It would awkwardly mean 'about the matter of the pamphlet,' and doesn't lead into stating a location.

• なら — if it's ~; speaking of ~ (picks up an established topic)
• 棚たな — shelf; rack

まさか pairs with とは思わなかった to express 'I never thought I would...' or 'I never expected to...'. The sentence: 'I never expected to be able to win the prize, so I'm very happy.' まさか…とは思わなかった is a common fixed pattern expressing surprise at an unexpected outcome.

• 1たとえ means 'even if.' It would need a conditional form like ても after it (たとえ受賞できなくても). It doesn't pair with とは思わなかった.
• 3せめて means 'at least.' It expresses a minimum desired outcome and doesn't fit with 'didn't think I could win.'
• 4かりに means 'suppose; if (hypothetical).' It typically pairs with としたら or すれば (かりに受賞したとしたら). It doesn't work with とは思わなかった.

• まさか — surely not; never expected (used with とは思わなかった)
• たとえ — even if (used with 〜ても)
• せめて — at least
• かりに — suppose; hypothetically (used with 〜としたら/〜すれば)

続けるうちに means 'as I continued ~' or 'while continuing ~,' expressing a gradual change that occurs over a period of time. The sentence: 'As I continued doing exercises every morning, my stiff body became flexible.' This correctly shows a process leading to a result.

• 2続けるからには means 'since I will continue / now that I've decided to continue,' expressing determination or obligation. It doesn't describe a gradual change.
• 3続けるとすると means 'if we suppose (someone) continues,' introducing a hypothetical. It doesn't express an actual ongoing process that led to a result.
• 4続けるかというと means 'whether to continue' or 'if you ask whether to continue,' which is grammatically and semantically out of place here.

• 〜うちに — while ~; during the time that ~ (expresses a change occurring within a period)
• からには — now that; since (expresses determination/obligation)
• 柔やわらかい — soft; flexible

負けてばかりだった means 'I was always/constantly losing.' 〜てばかりだ expresses a repeated or one-sided action — doing nothing but that. The sentence: 'At first I kept losing, but recently I've gradually started to win.' This contrasts a past pattern of constant losing with recent improvement.

• 2負けたばかりだった means 'had just lost' (using たばかり = 'just did ~'). This refers to a single event that just happened, not a repeated pattern over a period.
• 3負けるところだった means 'was about to lose' (〜ところだった = almost/nearly did). This describes a near-miss for one game, not a habitual state.
• 4負けているところだった means 'was in the middle of losing' (〜ているところ = in the process of). This describes being mid-action in one instance, not a repeated pattern over time.

• 〜てばかりいる — to be always doing ~; to do nothing but ~ (repeated/one-sided action)
• 〜たばかり — just did ~ (recently completed action)
• 〜ところだった — was about to ~; almost did ~

The correct order is 4 -> 3 -> 2 -> 1, making the sentence: 「おなかがすいているわけでもないのに、おなかが鳴るのはどうしてだろう。」(Even though it's not that I'm hungry, I wonder why my stomach is growling.) The tested ★ is filled by option 2 (おなかが鳴るのは), which connects to どうしてだろう to form the phrase 'why is it that my stomach is growling'.

• 1どうして (why) belongs at the very end, right before だろう, to form 'どうしてだろう' (I wonder why). Placing it at the ★ position breaks the sentence structure.
• 3でもないのに (even though it is not) must directly follow わけ to form the grammar pattern '〜わけでもないのに' (even though it's not the case that...). Placing it at the ★ breaks this pattern.
• 4わけ (reason/case) must directly follow おなかがすいている to form 'おなかがすいているわけ' (the case of being hungry). Placing it at the ★ leaves the preceding blanks disconnected.

• 〜わけでもない — it is not necessarily the case that...; it's not that...
• 〜のに — even though; although
• 〜のはどうしてだろう — I wonder why it is that...

The correct order is 4 -> 2 -> 1 -> 3, making the full sentence: 「出張に行くたびに泊まっているYホテルが先週から工事で休業中なので、今回は別のホテルに泊まることにした。」(The Y Hotel, where I stay every time I go on a business trip, has been closed for construction since last week, so this time I decided to stay at a different hotel.) The phrase 「出張に行くたびに泊まっている」(where I stay every time I go on a business trip) acts as a modifier for 「Yホテルが」. Since the ★ is in the third position, the correct choice is option 1 (泊まっている).

• 2「たびに」(every time) must follow a verb, such as 「出張に行く」, to form the phrase 「出張に行くたびに」. Placing it in the third slot (★) would break this grammatical connection.
• 3「Yホテルが」is the subject of the main clause and must immediately precede the predicate 「先週から工事で休業中なので」. Placing it in the third slot (★) would separate it from its predicate and break the sentence structure.
• 4「出張に行く」is the verb that starts the modifying clause. It must be placed in the first slot to connect with 「たびに」. Placing it in the third slot (★) makes no grammatical sense.

• 出張に行く（しゅっちょうにいく） — to go on a business trip
• たびに — every time, whenever
• 泊とまる — to stay (at a hotel, etc.)
• 休業中きゅうぎょうちゅう — closed, out of operation (for a period of time)