N2 Reading · Test 9

The writer notices expressions like 「大人の旅」 and 「大人のパスタ」 where 「大人」 does not mean 'adult' in the age-restricted sense. They then ask: what kind of person does this 「大人」 refer to? Option 3, どのような人 (what kind of person), fits perfectly — the rest of the essay investigates exactly this question by examining concrete examples. The phrase とは（どのような人）を指しているのだろうか means 'what kind of person does it refer to?'

• 1ここまで means 'up to this point.' It does not fit grammatically or semantically after とは～を指しているのだろうか, which expects a noun phrase describing a referent, not a spatial/temporal extent.
• 2そういう大人 means 'that kind of adult.' Inserting it creates a circular statement: 'What does 「大人」 refer to? — that kind of adult.' This is tautological and does not function as a meaningful question.
• 4それ以下 means 'below that / less than that.' It makes no sense in context — the writer is asking about the referent of 「大人」, not comparing quantities or levels.

• 指さす — to point at; to refer to (in this context, to indicate/mean)
• 成人用せいじんよう — for adults (age-restricted)
• 年齢制限ねんれいせいげん — age restriction/limit

The sentence describes what 「大人の旅」 is: staying at high-end inns, taking time to travel, etc. The grammatical pattern ～たり～たりするものだ lists representative actions and states them as a general characteristic ('it is something that does ~'). Option 1, するものだ, completes this pattern naturally: 高級な旅館に泊まったり、時間をかけて旅行したりするものだ = 'it is the kind of trip where you stay at fancy inns and take your time traveling.'

• 2するつもりだ means 'intends to do.' The sentence is describing the nature of the trip, not someone's intention, so this does not fit.
• 3するほうだ means 'the side that does / tends to do.' This is grammatically unnatural after the ～たり～たり pattern and does not describe a product/trip's characteristics.
• 4するべきだ means 'should do.' This is prescriptive (saying what one ought to do), but the sentence is descriptive — explaining what the trip actually is, not what it should be.

• ～たり～たりするものだ — grammatical pattern: 'it is something that does ~ and ~' (listing representative actions as a general characteristic)
• 高級こうきゅう — high-class, fancy, expensive
• 企画きかくする — to plan, to organize (an event/trip)

The context: 「大人のパスタ」 was developed for people who don't mind the price if the value is there. So even if using good ingredients raises the price somewhat, it is not a problem. Option 2, 問題ないということだ ('it means it is not a problem'), states this conclusion clearly: 多少価格が高くなっても問題ないということだ = 'it means that even if the price goes up a bit, it's not a problem.' The ということだ here expresses the conclusion/meaning derived from the preceding reasoning.

• 1問題ないかどうかだ means 'it's a matter of whether or not it's a problem.' This turns a clear conclusion into an open question, which does not fit — the context already establishes that price is not a concern for the target audience.
• 3問題ないとするだろうか means 'would one suppose it's not a problem?' This is a rhetorical question form that does not fit the declarative conclusion the sentence is making.
• 4問題ないのだと思っていた means 'I had thought it wasn't a problem.' The past tense and personal-thought framing do not match — the sentence is explaining the product's rationale, not recalling a past personal assumption.

• 素材そざい — ingredients, materials
• こだわる — to be particular about; to be selective/fussy about
• 多少たしょう — somewhat, to some degree
• ～ということだ — it means that ~; this indicates that ~ (expressing a conclusion or reported content)

The preceding paragraphs give three examples — travel, pasta, and piano lessons — each illustrating people who have economic, temporal, or spiritual/mental leeway. The sentence at (53) synthesizes these examples into a single conclusion: 経済的、時間的、精神的に余裕がある人が「大人」なのだろう ('people with economic, temporal, and mental leeway are probably 「大人」'). Option 3, 要するに ('in short / to sum up'), is the correct conjunction for summarizing multiple points into a conclusion.

• 1しかも means 'moreover / furthermore.' This adds additional information rather than summarizing, so it does not fit the synthesizing function needed here.
• 2ただし means 'however / but.' This introduces a restriction or exception, which contradicts the flow — the sentence is drawing a conclusion from the examples, not adding a caveat.
• 4それどころか means 'on the contrary / far from it.' This signals a contradiction to what was said before, but the sentence is consistent with and summarizes the preceding examples, so this does not fit.

• 要ようするに — in short, to sum up, in a word
• 経済的けいざいてき — economic, financial
• 精神的せいしんてき — mental, spiritual, psychological
• 余裕よゆう — leeway, margin, room (in time, money, or mental space)

The writer concludes that they do not yet understand the values of 「大人」 and therefore are probably not yet 「大人」. The final sentence looks to the future: when they come to understand the value of 「大人」 products, they might become 「大人」. Option 4, なれるのかもしれない ('might be able to become'), expresses this tentative future possibility: 「大人」の商品の価値がわかるようになったら、「大人」になれるのかもしれない = 'When I come to understand the value of 「大人」 products, I might be able to become a 「大人」.' The ～のかもしれない conveys uncertainty and hope, fitting the essay's reflective tone.

• 1なれるはずだった means 'should have been able to become.' The past tense (はずだった) implies a past expectation that was unfulfilled, which does not match the forward-looking, hopeful tone of the sentence.
• 2なりたくなってきた means 'have come to want to become.' This shifts the focus to the writer's desire, but the sentence is about possibility/ability (なれる), not about wanting to become. The grammar also doesn't pair naturally with the ～たら conditional here.
• 3なるわけではない means 'it's not that I'll become.' This negates the possibility, contradicting the essay's hopeful conclusion that understanding the values could lead to becoming 「大人」.

• ～のかもしれない — might ~; there is a possibility that ~ (expresses uncertainty)
• 価値観かちかん — values, sense of values
• 精せいいっぱい — with all one's might; to the fullest (here: being fully occupied/busy)