N2 Vocabulary · Test 1

1.近年、科学技術は著しい進歩を見せている。
1. 1 かやがかしい
2. 2 かがやかしい
3. 3 いちじるしい
4. 4 いちるじるしい
Show answer

Answer: 3. いちじるしい
著いちじるしい'remarkable', kun'yomi, order is じる not るじ

近年、科学技術は著しい進歩を見せている。
In recent years, science and technology have shown remarkable progress.

著いちじるしい is a kun'yomi i-adjective meaning remarkable or striking. The clue is 進歩を見せている, since 著しい often describes progress, change or growth that is large and noticeable. The reading is いちじるしい with じる in the middle.

Remember
Do not confuse 著いちじるしい, remarkable, with 輝かがやかしい, brilliant. For 著, also remember 著者ちょしゃ, author, and 顕著けんちょ, remarkable, which use on'yomi.
Why not the others
- 1かやがかしい
  かやがかしい is not a real word. It imitates 輝かがやかしい with や and が swapped, so it is a sound order trap.
- 2かがやかしい
  かがやかしい is the real word 輝かがやかしい, meaning brilliant or glorious. It sounds similar but uses a different kanji and does not match 著しい or the context of progress.
- 4いちるじるしい
  いちるじるしい is not a real word. It imitates いちじるしい with an extra る, giving るじる instead of じる, so it is a kana trap.
Words
- 近年きんねんrecent years
- 科学技術かがくぎじゅつscience and technology
- 著いちじるしいremarkable, striking
- 進歩しんぽprogress
2.みなさんの声援に力づけられました。
1. 1 せいえん
2. 2 しえん
3. 3 せいいん
4. 4 しいん
Show answer

Answer: 1. せいえん
声援せいえん'cheers, encouragement', on'yomi セイ + エン

みなさんの声援に力づけられました。
I was encouraged by everyone's cheers and support.

声援せいえん is an on'yomi compound of 声せい, voice, and 援えん, aid, meaning cheers or encouragement. The clue is に力づけられました, to be encouraged, which follows support from others. Both kanji use clear on'yomi with no long vowel change.

Remember
Keep the pair apart: 声援せいえん, cheers, with 声, versus 支援しえん, practical support. Remember 援えん also in 応援おうえん and 援助えんじょ.
Why not the others
- 2しえん
  しえん is the real word 支援しえん, meaning support or assistance. The meaning is close, but the kanji and first sound differ, and the sentence uses 声援, cheers.
- 3せいいん
  せいいん is not a reading of 声援. It imitates the correct せいえん but changes エン to イン, a vowel trap.
- 4しいん
  しいん is the real word 死因しいん, meaning cause of death. It drops せ and changes え to い, and the meaning does not fit encouragement.
Words
- 声援せいえんcheers, encouragement
- 力ちからづけるto encourage, to give strength
3.いつのまにか傾いていました。
1. 1 きずついて
2. 2 かたむいて
3. 3 かわいて
4. 4 ういて
Show answer

Answer: 2. かたむいて
傾かたむく'to lean, tilt', kun'yomi かたむ

いつのまにか傾いていました。
Before I knew it, it had tilted.

傾かたむく is a kun'yomi verb meaning to lean or tilt. The clue is いつのまにか, before one realizes, which fits something slowly leaning without being noticed. The te-form is 傾かたむいて.

Remember
Group similar kun verbs by first kana: 傾かたむく, to tilt, 乾かわく, to dry, 傷きずつく, to be injured, 浮うく, to float. The first sound decides the kanji.
Why not the others
- 1きずついて
  きずついて is the te-form of 傷きずつく, to be injured or damaged. There is no mention of injury or damage, only of a change noticed late.
- 3かわいて
  かわいて is the te-form of 乾かわく, to dry. Drying does not fit いつのまにか in this bare sentence about leaning.
- 4ういて
  ういて is the te-form of 浮うく, to float. Floating is a different change of position and does not match 傾く.
Words
- いつのまにかbefore one knows, unnoticed
- 傾かたむくto lean, to tilt

4.私の故郷は自然がゆたかなところです。
1. 1 豊か
2. 2 恵か
3. 3 富か
4. 4 福か
Show answer

Answer: 1. 豊か
豊か (ゆたか)'abundant, rich', na-adjective for nature and resources

私の故郷は自然が豊かなところです。
My hometown is a place rich in nature.

The underlined ゆたか describes 自然 in a hometown, meaning rich in nature or resources. That meaning is always written 豊か, a na-adjective. The other kanji share ideas like wealth or luck, but they cannot spell ゆたか.

Remember
Separate 豊か for abundant nature, 富む for money and wealth, 恵み for a blessing received, and 福 for luck. Only 豊か reads ゆたか.
Why not the others
- 2恵か
  恵 (めぐみ, けい) means blessing or favor, as in 恵み and 恩恵. It is never read ゆたか and cannot form ゆたか with か.
- 3富か
  富 (とみ, ふ) means wealth, as in 富む and 富裕. It is close in idea to being rich, but the word ゆたか is not written with 富.
- 4福か
  福 (ふく) means good fortune, as in 幸福 and 福祉. It shares a lucky image with 豊 but it is never read ゆたか.
Words
- 故郷ふるさとhometown
- 自然しぜんnature
- 豊ゆたかabundant, rich
5.この店の商品は、買ってから一週間以内ならへんぴんできます。
1. 1 返品
2. 2 変品
3. 3 逆品
4. 4 戻品
Show answer

Answer: 1. 返品
返品 (へんぴん)'returning goods', 返 'return' plus 品 'goods'

この店の商品は、買ってから一週間以内なら返品できます。
Products from this store can be returned within one week of purchase.

The clue is 買ってから一週間以内ならできます, a store rule about what can be done after buying. Returning purchased goods is the fixed business term 返品. 返 means send back or return, and 品 means article or goods.

Remember
Learn 返品 as a set with 返金 for refund and 返却 for returning a borrowed item. 戻る is for going back, not for this business procedure.
See てから →See なら →
Why not the others
- 2変品
  変 (へん) means strange or change, as in 変化 and 大変. 変品 has the same reading へんぴん but it is not a standard word, so it is a sound trap.
- 3逆品
  逆 (ぎゃく) means reverse or opposite, as in 逆 and 反対の逆. 逆品 is not a standard word and cannot mean returning goods.
- 4戻品
  戻 (もど) means go back, as in 戻る. It looks plausible because returning involves going back, but the fixed term for returning merchandise uses 返, not 戻.
Words
- 商品しょうひんproduct, merchandise
- 以内いないwithin
- 返品へんぴんreturn of goods
6.道具をらんぼうに使ってはいけません。
1. 1 荒暴
2. 2 乱暴
3. 3 乱亡
4. 4 荒亡
Show answer

Answer: 2. 乱暴
乱暴 (らんぼう)'rough, violent', 乱 'disorder' plus 暴 'violence'

道具を乱暴に使ってはいけません。
You must not use tools roughly.

The clue is 道具を...に使ってはいけません, a prohibition about how tools are handled. Using things roughly or violently is 乱暴に扱う or 乱暴に使う. 乱 means disorder and 暴 means violence, and together they form the standard word.

Remember
Separate 乱 for disorder, 荒 for wild or coarse surface, 暴 for violence, and 亡 for death. The pair for rough behavior is always 乱 plus 暴.
Why not the others
- 1荒暴
  荒 (あら, こう) means wild or coarse, as in 荒い and 荒れる. 荒暴 looks close because 荒い can mean rough, but 荒暴 is not a standard word.
- 3乱亡
  亡 (ぼう, な) means death or perish, as in 死亡 and 亡くなる. 乱亡 is not a standard word and 亡 has no connection to rough handling.
- 4荒亡
  荒亡 combines two kanji that never form this word. Neither 荒 for wildness nor 亡 for death gives the meaning of handling things roughly.
Words
- 道具どうぐtool, implement
- 乱暴らんぼうrough, violent, rude
- 使つかってはいけませんmust not use
7.この二人はライバルとして常にきそってきた。
1. 1 争って
2. 2 戦って
3. 3 競って
4. 4 討って
Show answer

Answer: 3. 競って
競う (きそう)'to compete', te-form 競って for rivals vying

この二人はライバルとして常に競ってきた。
These two have constantly competed with each other as rivals.

The deciding clue is ライバルとして常に...きた, two rivals doing something continuously. 競う means to compete for superiority, used for rivals, races and contests. The te-form 競って plus きた shows an action continued up to now.

Remember
Separate 競う for competing, 争う for disputing over something, and 戦う for fighting or playing a match. ライバル points to 競う.
See として →
Why not the others
- 1争って
  争って comes from 争う (あらそう), to dispute or fight over something. It is a real word, but it stresses conflict or quarreling, not healthy rivalry for first place.
- 2戦って
  戦って comes from 戦う (たたかう), to fight a battle or play a match. It is a real word, but it points to war or a game, not the general act of vying with a rival.
- 4討って
  討って comes from 討つ (うつ), to strike down or punish. It is normally read うって, so it cannot be read きそって, and its meaning does not fit rivals.
Words
- ライバル（らいばる）rival
- 常つねにalways, constantly
- 競きそうto compete
8.特に目立ったじゃくてんはない。
1. 1 悪点
2. 2 欠点
3. 3 低点
4. 4 弱点
Show answer

Answer: 4. 弱点
弱点 (じゃくてん)'weak point', 弱 'weak' plus 点 'point'

特に目立った弱点はない。
There is no particularly conspicuous weak point.

The clue is 特に目立った...はない, saying no notable fault stands out. A vulnerable or weak aspect is 弱点. 弱 means weak and 点 means point, and the reading of this pair is じゃくてん.

Remember
Separate 弱点 for an attackable weak point and 欠点 (けってん) for a defect or shortcoming. Watch the readings: 弱 is じゃく, 欠 is けつ.
Why not the others
- 1悪点
  悪 (あく, わる) means bad, as in 悪い and 悪化. 悪点 is not the standard word for a weak point, so it fails as a look-alike based on bad image.
- 2欠点
  欠点 (けってん) is a real word meaning defect or shortcoming. It is close in meaning, but it is read けってん, not じゃくてん, so it cannot match the underlined reading.
- 3低点
  低 (てい, ひく) means low, as in 低い. 低点 is not used for a weak point. A low score is normally 低い点数, not 低点.
Words
- 特とくにparticularly
- 目立めだったconspicuous, noticeable
- 弱点じゃくてんweak point
- 欠点けってんdefect, shortcoming

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N2 Vocabulary · Test 1

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