N2 Reading · Test 11

The sentence is 「つい食べ過ぎてしまうという人も（　50　）」, meaning 'There are probably quite a few people who end up eating too much.' Option 2 「多いのではないか」(='aren't there many? / there must be many') completes this naturally as a conjecture: 'There must also be quite a few people who end up overeating.' The pattern 「〜のではないか」expresses the writer's supposition that something is likely the case, which fits the columnist's tone of observing a common phenomenon.

• 1「多かったのか」is a past-tense question form ('Were there many?'), which doesn't fit—the writer is making a present-tense conjecture, not asking a question about the past.
• 3「多ければいい」means 'it would be good if there were many,' which makes no sense—the writer is not expressing a wish for many overeaters.
• 4「多くてよかった」means 'it was good that there were many,' expressing relief or satisfaction, which is inappropriate in this context.

• 〜のではないか — isn't it the case that...? / there must be... (expresses conjecture/supposition)
• つい — unintentionally, inadvertently, end up doing

The preceding sentence calculates that eating about 10 plates of sushi means consuming about 400 grams of rice. The sentence with the blank says, 'If we assume one bowl of rice is about 150 grams, ( 51 ).' Since 400 grams is roughly 2.6 bowls of rice, it is clearly more than 2 bowls. The grammar pattern '〜でもおかしくない' means 'it wouldn't be strange even if...' or 'it's not surprising that...'. Therefore, option 2, '2杯分以上でもおかしくない' (it's not surprising that it amounts to more than 2 bowls), correctly expresses this calculated conclusion based on the assumption.

• 1'2杯分以下だ' means 'it is 2 bowls or less.' Since 400 grams is greater than 300 grams (2 bowls), this is mathematically incorrect.
• 3'2杯分以上だからだ' means 'because it is more than 2 bowls.' The preceding clause ends with '〜だとすると' (if we assume that...), which sets up a condition for a conclusion, not a reason. Therefore, ending the sentence with a reason ('because') is grammatically and logically inappropriate here.
• 4'2杯分以上でなければいけない' means 'it must be more than 2 bowls.' This implies an obligation or necessity, which makes no sense when simply stating the calculated amount of rice a person eats on average.

• 〜でもおかしくない — it wouldn't be strange even if ~ / it is not surprising that ~
• 〜だとすると — if we assume that ~ / if that is the case
• 以下いか — ...or less
• 以上いじょう — ...or more
• でなければいけない — must be / have to be

The sentence is 「こんな（　52　）。」, immediately followed by a description of an experiment: having sushi lovers eat sushi under two different conditions. Option 3 「実験がある」completes the sentence as 「こんな実験がある」('There is such an experiment'), which naturally introduces the experiment described in the following sentences.

• 1「実験だといえる」('can be said to be an experiment')—the following sentences describe a concrete experiment, not something that 'can be said to be' one. This phrasing is too evaluative.
• 2「実験だとしている」('is treating it as an experiment')—this implies someone is characterizing something as an experiment, but the passage is introducing an actual experiment, not making a claim about what something counts as.
• 4「実験になる」('becomes an experiment')—this implies something turns into or results in an experiment, which doesn't fit the context of introducing an existing experiment.

• 実験じっけん — experiment

The preceding sentences describe the procedure of the experiment (eating sushi from flowing plates on a different day). Option 2 「すると」('then, when that was done') marks the result that followed: 'When they did, the amount eaten while the sushi was flowing was about 1.5 times the amount when it wasn't.' すると is a conjunction that indicates a sequential/resultative relationship—after doing X, the result was Y.

• 1「つまり」('in other words') is used to rephrase or summarize, but the following sentence presents a new result, not a rephrasing of what came before.
• 3「ところが」('however') indicates a contrary-to-expectation turn. The result (eating more when sushi flows) is consistent with the article's premise, not contrary to it.
• 4「一方で」('on the other hand') is used to contrast two parallel situations, but here we have a procedure followed by its result, not a contrast.

• すると — then, when done; (conjunction indicating result/sequence)
• つまり — in other words, that is to say
• ところが — however, contrary to expectation
• 一方いっぽうで — on the other hand

The article explains the psychological reasons why people overeat at conveyor belt sushi restaurants—the visual stimulation of flowing sushi triggers unconscious desires and instinctive tracking behavior. The concluding sentence is 「食べ過ぎてしまうのは（　54　）」, meaning 'overeating is probably unavoidable.' Option 4 「避けられないのだろう」('probably can't be avoided') fits perfectly: given these powerful psychological mechanisms, overeating is likely something that can't be helped. The ～のだろう expresses the writer's reasoned conclusion.

• 1「避けたいに決まっている」('definitely want to avoid')—this expresses a strong desire to avoid overeating, but the article's tone is explanatory and accepting of the phenomenon, not prescriptive about wanting to avoid it.
• 2「避けるべきだった」('should have avoided')—this is past-tense retrospective advice ('should have'), which doesn't fit the present/future-oriented conclusion about going to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant.
• 3「避けられたかもしれない」('might have been able to avoid')—this is speculative about the past, suggesting it might have been avoidable. The article's conclusion is that the psychological mechanisms make overeating natural and hard to avoid, so this contradicts the article's message.

• 避さけられない — unavoidable, cannot be avoided (passive potential negative of 避ける)
• 〜のだろう — probably...; I suppose... (expresses reasoned conjecture)
• 納得なっとく — understanding, agreement, being convinced