N2 Vocabulary · Test 116

そういえば means 'come to think of it / now that you mention it.' The dialogue: 'Hasn't Yamada come yet?' — 'Come to think of it, he was absent yesterday too, wasn't he.' The speaker is reminded by the question and recalls a related fact, which is exactly what そういえば signals.

• 2それとも means 'or else / or' and connects two alternative questions (e.g., コーヒー？それとも紅茶？). It cannot introduce a recalled fact.
• 3なぜなら means 'because / the reason is' and is followed by a reason (often with ～から). The second sentence is not a reason for Yamada's absence today; it's a recalled observation.
• 4だって means 'but / because' in colloquial speech, used to make excuses or protest. It does not fit the context of suddenly recalling that he was also absent yesterday.

• そういえば — come to think of it; now that you mention it
• それとも — or; or else (connecting alternatives)
• なぜなら — because; the reason is
• だって — but; because (colloquial, making excuses)

順調に means 'smoothly / favorably / without problems.' The sentence says 'The construction is progressing smoothly, and it looks like it will finish on schedule next month as planned.' 順調に pairs naturally with 進む (progress) and 予定どおり (as planned).

• 2自然に means 'naturally / spontaneously.' While construction could proceed 'naturally' in some sense, this word implies something happening of its own accord without human effort, which is odd for a construction project that is being managed.
• 3ゆたかに means 'abundantly / richly.' This describes resources, harvests, or content, not the progress of construction work.
• 4なだらかに means 'gently / smoothly' and is used for physical slopes or terrain (e.g., なだらかな丘). It does not describe the progress of a project.

• 順調じゅんちょう — smooth; favorable; going well
• 自然しぜん — nature; natural
• ゆたか — abundant; rich; plentiful
• なだらか — gentle; smooth (of slopes/terrain)

感覚 (かんかく) means 'sensation / sense / feeling (physical).' The sentence says 'It was so cold that I started losing sensation in my hands and feet.' 感覚がなくなる ('lose physical sensation') is the natural collocation for numbness from cold.

• 1感情 (かんじょう) means 'emotion.' Hands and feet do not have emotions, so 手足の感情がなくなった is nonsensical.
• 2感動 (かんどう) means 'being moved / deeply impressed' (by something emotional). This is a psychological reaction, not a physical sensation in one's limbs.
• 4感激 (かんげき) means 'deep emotion / being deeply moved.' Like 感動, this is an emotional response, not a physical sense that cold would numb.

• 感覚かんかく — sensation; sense (physical)
• 感情かんじょう — emotion; feeling (psychological)
• 感動かんどう — being moved; deep impression
• 感激かんげき — deep emotion; being deeply moved

「しだいに」(次第に) means 'gradually' or 'little by little.' The sentence says that as the typhoon approached, the rain and wind 'gradually' got stronger as night fell. This fits perfectly because a typhoon's effects build up over time.

• 2「せっせと」means 'diligently' or 'hard-working(ly),' used for someone putting in steady effort (e.g., せっせと働く). It does not describe a natural phenomenon like weather.
• 3「ばったり」means 'unexpectedly' or 'with a bump,' often used for unexpectedly running into someone (ばったり会う). It does not fit a gradual change.
• 4「ちかちか」is not a standard adverb meaning relevant here; it can describe a flashing or glaring sensation, but it does not mean 'gradually.'

• しだいに — gradually, little by little
• せっせと — diligently, hard-working(ly)
• ばったり — unexpectedly, with a bump
• 接近せっきん — approach, coming close
• ともなう — to accompany, to go with

「スタート」(start) means the beginning of a race or event. A marathon 'starts' from a certain location, so 'こちらの競技場からスタートする' (start from this stadium) is the natural choice.

• 1「セット」(set) means 'set' as in a set in tennis/volleyball or setting up equipment. A marathon is not 'set' from a stadium.
• 2「ノック」(knock) means 'knock,' often used in baseball for batting practice. It is unrelated to beginning a marathon.
• 4「サービス」(service) means 'service' (e.g., in tennis, or customer service). It does not describe the start of a race.

• スタート — start (of a race/event)
• セット — set (tennis/volleyball), setting up
• ノック — knock (e.g., batting practice in baseball)
• サービス — service (tennis, customer service)
• 競技場きょうぎじょう — sports ground, stadium

手間 (てま) means 'labor, trouble, effort.' The fixed expression「手間も時間もかかる」means 'takes both effort and time.' The sentence reads: 'Making this soup takes both effort and time.' 手間 and 時間 are a natural paired collocation.

• 1手段 (しゅだん) means 'means, method.' '手段も時間もかかる' is not a natural collocation; you don't say a task 'takes means.'
• 3手入れ (ていれ) means 'maintenance, care' (e.g., for tools, gardens). It doesn't pair with 時間 in this way for cooking.
• 4手続き (てつづき) means 'procedures, paperwork.' Making soup doesn't involve 手続き.

• 手間てま — labor, trouble, effort (involved in a task)
• 手段しゅだん — means, method
• 手入ていれ — maintenance, care, grooming
• 手続てつづき — procedure, formalities, paperwork
• 手書てがき — handwriting, handwritten

とっくに means 'already, long ago' — indicating something happened well before the expected time. The sentence reads: 'Oh, where's Kobayashi?' — 'Kobayashi? He already left a long time ago.' とっくに帰りましたよ perfectly conveys that he left well before now.

• 1いまに means 'eventually, before long' (referring to a future expectation). It doesn't fit a past-tense 帰りました.
• 2さらに means 'furthermore, moreover' or 'even more.' It doesn't modify a past verb like 帰りました in this context.
• 4どこかに means 'to somewhere.' 'どこかに帰りましたよ' (he went home somewhere) is grammatically possible but unnatural and doesn't answer the question about when he left.

• とっくに — already, long ago (well before expected time)
• いまに — eventually, before long
• さらに — furthermore, moreover, even more
• どこかに — to somewhere

ただし means 'however, provided that' — it introduces a condition or exception to what was just stated. The sentence reads: 'Reports may be handwritten. However, they must be written neatly.' ただし is the standard conjunction for adding a condition or restriction after granting permission.

• 1それに means 'besides, moreover' — it adds information in the same direction, not a restriction. It would not introduce a condition after granting permission.
• 3だって means 'because' or (colloquially) 'but' — it gives a reason. It doesn't fit the formal written style here and doesn't introduce a condition properly.
• 4そのうえ means 'besides, on top of that' — like それに, it adds more of the same kind of information, not a contrasting condition.

• ただし — however; provided that (introduces a condition/exception)
• それに — besides, moreover
• だって — because; but (colloquial)
• そのうえ — besides, on top of that, furthermore
• 手書てがき — handwriting, handwritten
• 可か — acceptable, permitted

平和な (へいわな) means 'peaceful.' The phrase 戦争のない平和な社会 means 'a peaceful society without war,' which is a natural and common collocation. The sentence says an international conference was held aiming to realize such a society.

• 1安易な (あんいな) means 'easy, lax, overly comfortable' and carries a negative nuance of taking the easy way out. It does not collocate with 社会 in this context.
• 2簡易な (かんいな) means 'simple, make-shift' and is used for things like 簡易な説明 (a simple explanation). It does not fit 'society.'
• 3平気な (へいきな) means 'calm, unconcerned, not bothered' and describes a person's attitude, not a type of society.

• 平和へいわな — peaceful
• 安易あんいな — easy, lax
• 簡易かんいな — simple, make-shift
• 平気へいきな — calm, unconcerned

覚悟 (かくご) means 'resolve, preparedness, mental readiness.' 覚悟で means 'with the resolve/determination (to do something).' 会社をやめる覚悟で = 'with the resolve to quit the company,' which fits perfectly: he defied the president's order, prepared to quit.

• 1不満 (ふまん) means 'dissatisfaction.' While you might feel 不満 toward an order, 不満で would mean 'out of dissatisfaction,' which doesn't convey the readiness-to-quit nuance the sentence requires.
• 2我慢 (がまん) means 'patience, endurance.' 我慢で would mean 'by enduring,' which contradicts the act of defying the president.
• 3承知 (しょうち) means 'consent, understanding, agreeing.' 承知で would mean 'willingly/knowingly,' but it doesn't convey the grave resolve to quit one's job.

• 覚悟かくご — resolve, preparedness
• 不満ふまん — dissatisfaction
• 我慢がまん — patience, endurance
• 承知しょうち — consent, understanding
• 逆さからう — to defy, to go against