N2 Reading · Test 14

The column opens by introducing a surprising fact: the toilet mark used around the world was actually born in Japan. The writer addresses the reader directly, asking whether they know this fact. 「ご存じだろうか」(ごぞんじだろうか) means 'Do you know? / Are you aware?' and is a polite question form of ご存じ (the respectful word for 知っている). This rhetorical question to the reader is a common opening device in magazine columns, making option 2 the correct choice.

• 1「ご存じなわけだ」means 'it is natural that you know / you would naturally know.' This implies the reader already knows the fact as a matter of course, which contradicts the column's purpose of introducing a surprising fact the reader likely does not know.
• 3「ご存じのようだ」means 'it seems you know.' This expresses the writer's observation that the reader appears to know, which does not fit an opening that introduces new information to the reader.
• 4「ご存じだからだろう」means 'probably because you know.' This gives a reason based on the assumption that the reader already knows, which is both grammatically awkward in this position and semantically inappropriate for introducing a new fact.

• ご存じ（ごぞんじ） — respectful form of 知っている (to know); used to refer to the reader/listener's knowledge
• 〜だろうか — a question form expressing wonder or asking the reader/listener; 'I wonder if...?'

The preceding sentence states that most signs in Japan were written in Japanese (e.g., 「お手洗い」). The following sentence says that with such signs, athletes from 90+ countries would not be able to understand them. This is a clear contrast: Japanese-only signs vs. the problem of international comprehension. 「しかし」(しかし) means 'however / but' and correctly marks this contrastive relationship.

• 1「それに」means 'besides / in addition / moreover' and adds supplementary information in the same direction. The relationship here is contrastive, not additive, so this is wrong.
• 3「または」means 'or' and presents an alternative. There is no alternative being presented here; the relationship is contrastive.
• 4「それどころか」means 'far from that / on the contrary' and is used to emphasize that the actual situation is even more extreme than what was just stated. Here, the issue is not that things are worse than Japanese-only signs, but simply that Japanese-only signs are inadequate for foreigners, so this is too strong and semantically incorrect.

• しかし — however; but — marks contrast with the preceding statement
• それに — besides; moreover; in addition
• または — or (presenting an alternative)
• それどころか — far from that; on the contrary

The preceding sentences describe how sign makers decided to use pictures so that athletes from all countries could understand. The blank is followed by 「トイレマークなのだ」(is the toilet mark). Option 4, 「こうして生まれたのが」(what was born in this way), creates the sentence: 'What was born in this way is the toilet mark.' 「こうして」(こうして) refers back to the process just described, and 「生まれたのが〜なのだ」is a cleft-like structure that identifies the result. This fits perfectly as a concluding statement for the paragraph.

• 1「作成者が理解したのは」means 'what the creators understood is...' — the creators are not the ones who 'understood'; they are the ones who created the marks. Also, the sentence needs to identify what was produced (the toilet mark), not what someone understood.
• 2「日本で考えられたのが」means 'what was thought of / conceived in Japan is...' While the idea was conceived in Japan, the preceding context focuses on the process of creation (絵で表すことを考えた), and 「こうして」(in this way) better captures the causal link. More importantly, the grammatical flow with 「日本で考えられたのが」is less natural here because the emphasis is on the result of the described process, not on the location.
• 3「ここに生み出したのは」means 'what was produced here is...' The phrase 「ここに」(here) is spatially ambiguous and does not connect to the preceding process description. Also, the subject of 生み出した would need to be the creators, but the sentence structure requires the blank to connect to トイレマークなのだ as the thing that was born/created.

• こうして — in this way; thus — refers back to the process just described
• 生うまれる — to be born; to come into being; to be created

The subject of this sentence is 競技を表すマーク (marks representing sports). The sentence says that in subsequent Olympics too, with design changes, they have been used every time. The correct form is the passive 「使用されている」(しようされている), meaning 'are (being) used.' The ている form indicates an ongoing/recurring state: the marks continue to be used at each Olympics. This matches the context of a continuing practice from the past to the present.

• 2「使用した点だ」means 'the point is that they used (them).' This changes the sentence structure to one emphasizing a 'point,' which does not fit the grammatical flow. The sentence needs a predicate describing what happens to the marks, not a statement about a notable point.
• 3「使用していける」means 'can continue to use.' This is a potential/continuative form that implies ability to keep using, but the context states a fact (they ARE used every time), not a potential. Also, the subject is the marks (passive), not someone who 'can use' them.
• 4「使用したいものだ」means 'one would want to use.' This expresses desire, but the context describes an established fact (the marks have been used at every subsequent Olympics), not a wish or desire.

• 使用しようされる — to be used (passive of 使用する)
• 〜ている — indicates ongoing state or recurring action

The final sentence summarizes the significance of the toilet mark and other marks spreading worldwide: 'That is surely the result of the desire to make things easy to understand for everyone reaching the world.' 「結果に違いない」(けっかにちがいない) means 'must be the result / is undoubtedly the result,' expressing the writer's strong conviction. This fits the conclusive, reflective tone of the column's ending, where the writer confidently interprets the meaning of the phenomenon described.

• 1「結果として表れるかもしれない」means 'might appear as a result.' The かもしれない (might) expresses uncertainty, which is too weak for a concluding sentence that confidently interprets the significance of what has already happened.
• 2「結果のはずだった」means 'was supposed to be the result.' The past tense だった indicates an expectation that was held in the past, often implying it was not fulfilled. This does not match the context, which describes an actual, confirmed outcome.
• 4「結果でなければならなかった」means 'had to be the result / must have been the result (obligation in the past).' This expresses necessity or obligation, implying the outcome was required. The context describes a natural consequence, not something that was obligatory, so this is semantically wrong.

• 〜に違いない（〜にちがいない） — must be; undoubtedly; expresses strong conviction about a conclusion
• 結果けっか — result; outcome