N2 Vocabulary · Test 38

Option 4 「準」 forms 「準決勝（じゅんけっしょう）」, meaning 'semifinal(s)'. The sentence means: 'In the first tournament I entered, I was able to advance to the semifinals.' 「準決勝まで進む」 is a natural, common expression.

• 1「前」 would form 「前決勝」, which is not a real word. There is no such term in Japanese.
• 2「副」 would form 「副決勝」, which is not a real word. 「副」 is used in words like 「副社長」 (vice president), not here.
• 3「次」 would form 「次決勝」, which is not a real word.

• 準決勝じゅんけっしょう — semifinal(s)

Option 2 「連れ」 forms 「親子連れ（おやこづれ）」, meaning 'a parent (or parents) accompanied by child(ren)'. The sentence means: 'This restaurant is always crowded with parent-and-child customers.' 「親子連れの客」 is a very common phrase.

• 1「添え」 forms 「親子添え」, which is not a real word. 「添える」 means 'to attach/add', but this compound does not exist.
• 3「伴い」 forms 「親子伴い」, which is not a real word. 「伴う」 means 'to accompany/entail', but this compound is not used.
• 4「付き」 forms 「親子付き」, which is not a real word. 「付き」 appears in compounds like 「子供付き」, but 「親子連れ」 is the fixed expression.

• 親子連おやこづれ — parent(s) accompanied by child(ren); a family with children

Option 3 「薄」 forms 「薄暗い（うすぐらい）」, meaning 'dim, somewhat dark'. The sentence means: 'Because the sunlight is poor, this room is dim even during the day.' 「薄暗い」 is a common adjective.

• 1「浅」 would form 「浅暗い」, which is not a real word. 「浅」 is used in words like 「浅い」 (shallow).
• 2「軽」 would form 「軽暗い」, which is not a real word.
• 4「弱」 would form 「弱暗い」, which is not a real word.

• 薄暗うすぐらい — dim, somewhat dark

Option 1 「気味」 forms 「風邪気味（かぜぎみ）」, meaning 'slightly catching a cold / having mild cold-like symptoms'. The sentence means: 'My child seems to be coming down with a cold, so I decided to let them stay home from school today.' 「〜気味」 is a suffix meaning 'slightly / tending toward ~'.

• 2「具合」 would form 「風邪具合」, which is not a standard word. 「具合」 means 'condition/state', but this compound is not used.
• 3「寄り」 would form 「風邪寄り」, which is not a real word.
• 4「向き」 would form 「風邪向き」, which is not a real word. 「向き」 means 'oriented toward / suitable for', not applicable here.

• 風邪気味かぜぎみ — slightly catching a cold; having mild cold symptoms
• 〜気味（〜ぎみ） — suffix: slightly / tending toward (some state)

Option 4 「類」 forms 「食器類（しょっきるい）」, meaning 'tableware (as a category/class of items)'. The sentence means: 'Please pack the tableware into this box.' 「〜類」 is a suffix meaning 'a class/category of ~'.

• 1「型」 would form 「食器型」, meaning 'a model/type of tableware', which does not fit the context of packing items.
• 2「種」 would form 「食器種」, which is not a standard word.
• 3「属」 would form 「食器属」, which is not a real word. 「属」 is used in biological taxonomy, not here.

• 食器類しょっきるい — tableware (category); dishes and utensils as a group
• 〜類（〜るい） — suffix: a class/category of ~

呼び止められて (よびとめられて) means 'to be called to a stop' or 'to be stopped (by someone calling out).' The sentence describes walking in front of the station and being suddenly stopped by a TV reporter for an interview. This is the natural verb for a reporter stopping a passerby on the street.

• 1聞き取られて (ききとられて) comes from 聞き取る, meaning 'to catch/comprehend (what someone says),' e.g., understanding speech. It does not mean 'to stop someone,' so it doesn't fit the context of being stopped for an interview.
• 3問い合わせられて (といあわせられて) comes from 問い合わせる, meaning 'to make an inquiry/contact (a company, office, etc.).' A reporter wouldn't 'inquire' a passerby on the street in this way.
• 4見分けられて (みわけられて) comes from 見分ける, meaning 'to distinguish/tell apart.' Being 'distinguished' by a reporter doesn't make sense in this context.

• 呼び止める（よびとめる） — to call out to someone to stop them
• 聞き取る（ききとる） — to catch/comprehend what is said
• 問い合わせる（といあわせる） — to make an inquiry
• 見分みわける — to distinguish, tell apart

解散 (かいさん) means 'to disband / to break up (a gathering).' For a group activity like a hike, the standard pairing is 集合 (assemble) and 解散 (disband). '午前10時集合、午後4時解散' is a very common set phrase.

• 2解放 (かいほう) means 'liberation/release' (e.g., freeing hostages, releasing stress). It implies freeing someone from confinement or restriction, not the natural end of a group outing.
• 3退出 (たいしゅつ) means 'to exit/leave (a room/building).' It is used when leaving a specific room or premises, not for a group disbanding after an outdoor activity.
• 4退場 (たいじょう) means 'to leave the stage/venue,' used for performers, athletes, or people leaving an event venue. It doesn't fit a hiking group breaking up.

• 解散かいさん — to disband, break up (a gathering)
• 解放かいほう — liberation, release
• 退出たいしゅつ — to exit, leave a room
• 退場たいじょう — to leave the stage/venue

スムーズに means 'smoothly.' When there is a moderator (司会), a discussion proceeds smoothly without confusion. スムーズに進む is a common collocation meaning 'to go smoothly.'

• 1シンプルに means 'simply.' A discussion being 'simple' doesn't quite describe the flow; it describes the content or structure, not how smoothly it proceeds.
• 3ソフトに means 'softly/gently.' This describes manner or texture, not the flow of a discussion.
• 4クリアに means 'clearly.' While clarity is good, the natural expression for a discussion proceeding without friction is スムーズに, not クリアに.

• スムーズに — smoothly, without trouble
• シンプルに — simply
• ソフトに — softly, gently
• クリアに — clearly

つらくて (辛くて) means 'painful, emotionally hard, tough.' Parting with classmates on the day of transferring schools is emotionally painful, which caused tears to not stop. つらい is the standard word for emotional hardship or sadness in such situations.

• 1にくくて (憎くて) means 'hateful, detestable.' This would imply the speaker hated parting, which is unnatural here — the speaker is sad, not resentful.
• 3痛ましくて (いたましくて) means 'pitiful, heartbreaking' and is used about others' suffering or tragic situations, not about one's own sadness of parting.
• 4重苦しくて (おもくるしくて) means 'oppressive, heavy and gloomy,' describing an atmosphere or physical sensation (e.g., chest tightness). It doesn't naturally describe the sadness of parting.

• 辛つらい — painful, emotionally hard, tough
• 憎にくい — hateful, detestable
• 痛いたましい — pitiful, heartbreaking (about others' suffering)
• 重苦おもくるしい — oppressive, heavy and gloomy

意欲 (いよく) means 'motivation, willingness, eagerness.' When your work is properly evaluated, your motivation/willingness toward work increases. 仕事への意欲が高まる is a standard collocation.

• 1活気 (かっき) means 'liveliness, vitality, energy (of a place or group).' You say 売場に活気が出る (the store becomes lively), but 活気 is not something you have 'toward work' (仕事への活気 is unnatural).
• 2根気 (こんき) means 'perseverance, patience.' While related to work, 根気が続く (perseverance lasts) is used, but 仕事への根気 is not a natural collocation, and evaluation doesn't directly 'raise' perseverance.
• 3意図 (いと) means 'intention, purpose.' 仕事への意図 would mean 'intention toward work,' which is not something that 'rises' (高まる) in this context.

• 意欲いよく — motivation, willingness, eagerness
• 活気かっき — liveliness, vitality (of a place/group)
• 根気こんき — perseverance, patience
• 意図いと — intention, purpose