N2 Vocabulary · Test 127

くれぐれも is an adverb meaning 'by all means / please be sure to…,' used to strongly urge caution or care. '健康にはくれぐれも気をつけてください' (Please be sure to take good care of your health) is the classic usage.

• 1'秋になるとくれぐれもさびしくなる' tries to use くれぐれも as 'increasingly,' which is wrong. The correct word would be しだいに or ますます.
• 2'母は手紙で家族のことをくれぐれも知らせてきた' misuses くれぐれも as 'in detail.' The correct word would be くわしく.
• 4'もう少しがんばればくれぐれも勝てたのに' tries to use くれぐれも as 'certainly/definitely.' The correct word would be きっと or ぜひ.

• くれぐれも — by all means; please be sure to (used for urging care/caution)

いきいき（と）means 'lively, full of energy/vigor' and is used to describe a person's demeanor or activity. '彼は最近いきいきと仕事をしている' (He has been working energetically lately) is the correct usage.

• 2'このさしみはいきいきとしている' tries to apply いきいき to food freshness. For food, the correct word is 新鮮（しんせん）or 生（なま）.
• 3'テレビから地震のいきいきとしたようすがわかる' applies いきいき to an earthquake situation, which is neither lively nor energetic. A natural disaster's situation would be described with 生々しい（なまなましい）if anything.
• 4'野菜はゆでるよりいきいきと食べるほうが好きだ' confuses いきいき with 生（なま, raw). Vegetables eaten without cooking are 生で食べる, not いきいきと食べる.

• いきいき — lively, full of energy/vigor

あきらか（明らか）means 'clear, obvious, evident' and is used to state that something is plainly true. '彼が言ったことがうそであるのはあきらかだ' (It is obvious that what he said was a lie) is the correct usage.

• 1'最近あきらかな顔をしている' misuses あきらか to describe a facial expression. For a happy/clear expression, use 明るい（あかるい）or さわやかな.
• 3'あきらかに書いてください' tries to use あきらか as 'clearly/legibly' for handwriting. The correct word is はっきり（と）.
• 4'自信をもってあきらかに答えた' tries to use あきらか as 'clearly' modifying a verb. The correct word is はっきり（と）.

• あきらか — clear, obvious, evident

妥当（だとう）means 'appropriate, proper, valid.' The noun form 妥当性（だとうせい）means 'validity/appropriateness.' '中山氏の言ったことは妥当性に欠ける' (What Mr. Nakayama said lacks validity) is the correct usage.

• 1'妥当に返事をしておいた' tries to use 妥当 as an adverb meaning 'appropriately/suitably.' 妥当 is a na-adjective describing whether something is appropriate, not an adverb for how to do something. The correct word would be 適当（てきとう）に or 無難（ぶなん）に.
• 2'その計画は妥当的だ' incorrectly attaches 的 to a na-adjective. 妥当 is already a na-adjective, so the correct form would be 妥当だ.
• 4'この単語に妥当する外国語が見つからない' treats 妥当 as a suru-verb meaning 'to correspond/match.' The correct word for 'correspond' is 該当（がいとう）する.

• 妥当だとう — appropriate, proper, valid
• 妥当性だとうせい — validity, appropriateness

中断（ちゅうだん）means 'suspension, interruption (temporarily stopping something in progress).' '急に雨が降ってきたので、試合が一時中断した' (It suddenly started raining, so the match was temporarily suspended) is the correct usage — a match in progress is temporarily halted.

• 1'友だちとの約束を中断した' misuses 中断 for canceling a promise/appointment. A promise isn't 'in progress,' so you would cancel it with キャンセルする or 取り消す, not 中断する.
• 2'遠足が中断になった' uses the wrong noun. A field trip cancelled by a typhoon would be 中止（ちゅうし）, not 中断. 中止 = cancellation; 中断 = temporary suspension of something already underway.
• 3'大きな木が中断した' applies 中断 to a tree, which makes no sense. A tree struck by lightning would split or fall — 折れる or 倒れる, not 中断する.

• 中断ちゅうだん — suspension, interruption (temporary halt of something in progress)
• 中止ちゅうし — cancellation (of an event)

引き受ける means 'to undertake, to accept (a request/task).' The definition says 'being asked to do something and agreeing to do it' (頼まれて承知する), which is exactly what 引き受ける describes.

• 1引き出す means 'to draw out, to pull out' (e.g., money from a bank, or drawing out someone's potential). It is not about accepting a request.
• 2受け付ける means 'to accept/receive (applications, orders, complaints).' It refers to an organization receiving submissions, not a person agreeing to take on a requested task.
• 3受け取る means 'to receive (a thing, a message).' It is about physically or conceptually receiving something, not about agreeing to undertake a task.

• 引き受ける（ひきうける） — to undertake, to accept a request/task
• 承知しょうちする — to consent, to agree, to accept
• 引き出す（ひきだす） — to draw out, to pull out
• 受け付ける（うけつける） — to accept (applications, orders, etc.)
• 受け取る（うけとる） — to receive (a thing/message)

ますます means 'more and more, increasingly.' The definition '変化の程度がいっそう大きくなるようす' (the degree of change becoming even greater) matches ますます perfectly — it describes a trend intensifying.

• 2しばしば means 'frequently, often, repeatedly.' It describes frequency of occurrence, not degree of change increasing.
• 3せいぜい means 'at most, at best.' It sets an upper limit, the opposite of describing something growing larger.
• 4とうとう means 'finally, at last.' It describes reaching a conclusion/end point, not a process of increasing.

• ますます — more and more, increasingly
• しばしば — frequently, often, repeatedly
• せいぜい — at most, at best
• とうとう — finally, at last

投書（とうしょ） means 'a letter or contribution sent to a newspaper/magazine to be published.' The definition — sending one's opinions or proposals to a newspaper etc. to have them published — is exactly what 投書 means.

• 1宣伝（せんでん） means 'advertising, promotion.' It is about publicizing a product or cause, not submitting opinions to a newspaper.
• 3記事（きじ） means 'an article (already written/published).' It refers to the published content, not the act of sending something in.
• 4出版（しゅっぱん） means 'publishing (a book, etc.).' It refers to the publishing industry/act, not reader contributions to a newspaper.

• 投書とうしょ — a reader's letter/contribution sent to a newspaper or magazine
• 宣伝せんでん — advertising, promotion
• 記事きじ — article (in a newspaper/magazine)
• 出版しゅっぱん — publishing

真剣（しんけん） means 'serious, earnest, with full concentration.' The definition says 'not in a joking/playful mood, but doing something with all one's effort' (ふさけた気持ちでなく、一生懸命), which is precisely 真剣.

• 2深刻（しんこく） means 'grave, serious (about a situation/problem).' It describes the severity of a situation (e.g., a serious crime, a grave problem), not a person's earnest attitude toward a task.
• 3率直（そっちょく） means 'frank, straightforward.' It describes honesty in expressing opinions, not seriousness of effort.
• 4活躍（かつやく） means 'active success, playing an active role.' It describes someone performing well/actively, not the attitude of being serious.

• 真剣しんけん — serious, earnest, with full concentration
• 深刻しんこく — grave, serious (describing a situation/problem)
• 率直そっちょく — frank, straightforward
• 活躍かつやく — active success, playing an active role

アナウンサー means 'announcer (radio/TV).' The definition — a person who reads the news or hosts programs on radio or television — is exactly what an アナウンサー is.

• 1コーチ means 'coach (sports, etc.).' A coach trains athletes or learners, not a broadcast personality.
• 2メンバー means 'member (of a group/team).' It is a generic term for someone belonging to a group, not a broadcasting role.
• 3キャプテン means 'captain (of a team).' It refers to a team leader in sports, not a broadcaster.

• アナウンサー — announcer (radio/TV news reader / program host)
• コーチ — coach (sports instructor)
• メンバー — member (of a group)
• キャプテン — captain (team leader)