N2 Vocabulary · Test 2

The correct answer is 3 (状). ボール状 (ボールじょう) means 'in a ball shape' or 'ball-shaped'. The suffix 状 (じょう) indicates a state, form, or shape. The sentence means: 'When attacked by enemies, this animal rolls its body into a ball shape to protect itself.' ボール状に丸める is a natural collocation meaning 'to roll up into a ball shape.'

• 1式 (しき/しき) means 'style, method, system, formula.' ボール式 would mean something like 'ball method/system,' which does not describe a physical shape and does not fit the context of rolling one's body into a ball.
• 2感 (かん) means 'feeling, sensation, impression.' ボール感 would mean 'ball-like feeling/sensation,' which is abstract and does not describe the physical form of the body being rolled up.
• 4性 (せい) means 'nature, property, quality.' ボール性 would mean 'ball-like property/nature,' which is not a natural word and does not describe a shape.

• ボール状（ボールじょう） — ball-shaped, in the form of a ball
• 状じょう — suffix meaning state, form, shape, condition
• 丸まるめる — to roll up, to make round
• 身を守る（みをまもる） — to protect oneself

The correct answer is 3 (別). 別会場 (べつかいじょう) means 'a different venue' or 'a separate venue.' The prefix 別 (べつ) means 'different, separate, another.' The sentence means: 'Tomorrow's symposium will be held at a different venue, so please be careful.' The context of ご注意ください ('please be careful') strongly implies that the venue has changed from the usual or expected one, making 別会場 the natural choice.

• 1離 (り) means 'separation, leaving.' 離会場 is not a standard Japanese word. While 離 conveys a sense of separation, it is not used as a prefix meaning 'different' in this way.
• 2違 (い) relates to 'difference, wrong.' 違会場 is not a standard word. The kanji 違 is used in words like 違う (ちがう, 'to differ'), but it is not used as a prefix for 'different venue.'
• 4補 (ほ) means 'supplement, substitute,補.' 補会場 is not a standard word. While 補 can mean 'substitute' in some contexts (e.g., 補欠), it is not used this way with 会場.

• 別会場べつかいじょう — a different venue, a separate venue
• 別べつ — different, separate, another (used as prefix)
• シンポジウム — symposium
• 会場かいじょう — venue, meeting place

The correct answer is 1 (現). 現社長 (げんしゃちょう) means 'the current president (of a company).' The prefix 現 (げん) means 'current, present, incumbent.' The sentence means: 'That company's management policy changed after the current president took office.' 現社長になってから ('since becoming the current president') naturally describes a change in leadership that led to a shift in management policy.

• 2直 (ちょく/じき) means 'direct, straight, immediate.' 直社長 is not a standard word. While 直 can appear in compounds like 直接 (ちょくせつ), it is not used as a prefix meaning 'current' before a title.
• 3今 (いま/こん) means 'now, present.' While 今の社長 ('the president now') is grammatically possible in casual speech, 今社長 as a single compound noun is not standard Japanese. The proper prefix for 'current/incumbent' before a title is 現.
• 4近 (きん/こん) means 'near, recent.' 近社長 is not a standard word. 近 is used in words like 最近 (さいきん, 'recently') but is not used as a prefix meaning 'current' before a title.

• 現社長げんしゃちょう — the current/present president (of a company)
• 現げん — current, present, incumbent (used as prefix)
• 経営方針けいえいほうしん — management policy, business policy
• 社長しゃちょう — company president

上昇（じょうしょう）means 'rise/ascend' and is the standard collocation with 物価（ぶっか, prices）. 物価が上昇する is the natural way to say 'prices are rising.'

• 1増加（ぞうか）means 'increase' and is used for countable quantities or numbers (e.g., 人口が増加する), not for prices or rates.
• 2上達（じょうたつ）means 'improvement (of a skill)' and is used for abilities like language or sports, not for prices.
• 3増大（ぞうだい）means 'growth/enlargement (in scale or size)' and is used for things like 負担 or 影響, not for prices.

• 上昇じょうしょう — rise, ascend (used for prices, temperature, rates)
• 増加ぞうか — increase (used for quantities/numbers)
• 上達じょうたつ — improvement (of skills)
• 増大ぞうだい — growth, enlargement (in scale/size)
• 物価ぶっか — prices, commodity prices

タイミング means 'timing.' The phrase ちょうどいいタイミングで means 'at just the right timing/moment,' which fits perfectly: 'A police officer happened to pass by at just the right timing, so I was saved.'

• 1タイマー means 'timer' (a device that counts time). You would not say ちょうどいいタイマーで.
• 2アクシデント means 'accident/unexpected trouble.' An accident passing by does not make sense here.
• 4アクション means 'action.' ちょうどいいアクションで is not a natural collocation in this context.

• タイミング — timing, opportune moment
• タイマー — timer (device)
• アクシデント — accident, unexpected trouble
• アクション — action
• 通とおりかかる — to happen to pass by

気軽に（きがるに）means 'casually, without hesitation, feel free to.' 気軽に声をかける means 'casually call out / speak to someone without formality.' The sentence says 'No need to hold back, so please feel free to call out to me anytime.'

• 1無事に（ぶじに）means 'safely, without incident.' 無事に声をかける is not a natural collocation.
• 3率直に（そっちょくに）means 'frankly, straightforwardly.' While you can speak frankly, 率直に声をかける focuses on being blunt rather than casual/easy, which doesn't fit the nuance of 遠慮はいらない.
• 4器用に（きように）means 'skillfully, dexterously.' 器用に声をかける is not a natural expression.

• 気軽きがるに — casually, without hesitation, feel free to
• 無事ぶじに — safely, without incident
• 率直そっちょくに — frankly, straightforwardly
• 器用きように — skillfully, dexterously
• 声こえをかける — to call out to, to speak to someone

添付（てんぷ）means 'attachment (to email/document).' 添付されたファイル means 'the file attached (to the email).' This is the standard IT term for email attachments.

• 1輸送（ゆそう）means 'transport (of goods/cargo).' Files are not 'transported' in an email context.
• 2付属（ふぞく）means 'belonging to / attached to (as an accessory).' While similar, 付属 is used for physical accessories or components that belong to a product, not for email file attachments. The correct IT term is 添付.
• 3郵送（ゆそう）means 'mailing (by post).' This refers to physical mail, not digital files.

• 添付てんぷ — attachment (to email/document)
• 輸送ゆそう — transport (of goods/cargo)
• 付属ふぞく — belonging to, attached (as accessory/component)
• 郵送ゆそう — mailing by post

じろじろ is an onomatopoeic adverb meaning 'staringly, with a steady gaze.' じろじろ見る means 'to stare at someone.' The sentence says 'You shouldn't stare at people like that,' which is a natural warning.

• 2たまたま means 'by chance, occasionally.' たまたま見る means 'to happen to see,' which doesn't carry the negative nuance the sentence implies.
• 3さっさと means 'quickly, promptly (without hesitation).' さっさと見る is not a standard collocation and doesn't fit the context of staring.
• 4うっかり means 'carelessly, by mistake.' うっかり見る means 'to accidentally see,' which doesn't convey the deliberate staring the sentence criticizes.

• じろじろ — staringly, with a steady uncomfortable gaze
• たまたま — by chance, occasionally
• さっさと — quickly, promptly
• うっかり — carelessly, inadvertently