N2 Vocabulary · Test 71

星（ほし） means 'star'. In the sentence 星が雲にかくれた ('The star was hidden by the clouds'), the correct reading is ほし (option 3).

• 1ふし is not a valid reading for 星. It may be confused with 節（ふし） 'joint/node/point', but it is unrelated here.
• 2ふうし is not a valid reading for 星. It resembles readings of words like 風刺（ふうし）, but it is incorrect.
• 4ほうし is not a valid reading for 星. It resembles readings of words like 奉仕（ほうし） 'service' or 芳旨（ほうし）, but it is wrong.

• 星ほし — star
• 雲くも — cloud
• かくれた — was hidden (from 隠れる)

The sentence is 星が雲にかくれた (The stars were hidden by the clouds). The kanji 雲 means 'cloud' and is read くも. It makes perfect sense that stars would be hidden behind clouds.

• 2しも is the reading for 霜 (frost). Frost does not hide stars, so it is contextually wrong.
• 3にじ is the reading for 虹 (rainbow). A rainbow would not hide stars, and it is the wrong kanji reading.
• 4ゆき is the reading for 雪 (snow). Snow does not hide stars in the sky, so it is contextually wrong.

• 雲くも — cloud
• 霜しも — frost
• 虹にじ — rainbow
• 雪ゆき — snow
• かくれた — was hidden (from 隠れる, to hide/be hidden)

The correct reading for 氷 is こおり (koori), meaning 'ice'. The sentence 氷は水に浮く means 'Ice floats on water.' Option 2 correctly provides this reading.

• 1あぶら (abura) is the reading for 油, meaning 'oil'. Oil also floats on water, but it is not the reading for the kanji 氷.
• 3こな (kona) is the reading for 粉, meaning 'powder'. This is unrelated to the kanji 氷.
• 4こめ (kome) is the reading for 米, meaning 'rice'. This is unrelated to the kanji 氷.

• 氷こおり — ice
• 水みず — water
• 浮うく — to float

浮く is read うく and means 'to float.' In the sentence 氷は水に浮く ('Ice floats on water'), it describes ice staying on the surface of water rather than sinking.

• 2ふく corresponds to verbs such as 吹く ('to blow (wind)') or 富く is not standard; it does not match 浮く.
• 3まく corresponds to verbs such as 巻く ('to wind/roll') or 撒く ('to scatter/spread'); it is unrelated to 浮く.
• 4わく corresponds to verbs such as 沸く / 湧く ('to boil / to spring up (e.g., water, emotions)'); it does not mean 'to float.'

• 浮うく — to float
• 氷こおり — ice
• 水みず — water

交差点 is read こうさてん. The kanji 交 is read こう (as in 交差点 'intersection' or 交通 'traffic'), 差 is read さ (as in 差 'difference'), and 点 is read てん (as in 点 'point'). Together they mean 'intersection' (lit. crossing-point). Option 3 correctly gives こうさてん.

• 1こさてん is wrong because the first kanji 交 in this compound is read こう, not こ. Dropping the long vowel う changes the reading and the word.
• 2こざてん is wrong on two counts: 交 is read こう (not こ), and 差 is read さ (not ざ). The voiced ざ is incorrect here.
• 4こうざてん is wrong because the middle kanji 差 is read さ, not the voiced ざ. While 交 is correctly こう, voicing 差 to ざ makes this an incorrect reading of 交差点.

• 交差点こうさてん — intersection, crossing
• 交こう — cross, intersect
• 差さ — difference
• 点てん — point
• 通行つうこう — traffic, passage
• 規制きせい — regulation, control

伝えられて is the passive-te form of 伝える (つたえる), meaning 'to convey/report/pass on.' Here 伝えられている means 'it is reported (that)…' The sentence means 'It is reported that the leaders of both countries will hold talks in the near future.'

• 1あたえられて comes from 与える (to give), which does not fit the meaning 'reported/conveyed.'
• 2かなえられて comes from 叶える (to grant/make come true), which does not fit here.
• 3そなえられて comes from 備える (to equip/provide), which does not fit the meaning 'reported/conveyed.'

• 伝つたえる — to convey, report, pass on
• 与あたえる — to give
• 叶かなえる — to grant, make come true
• 備そなえる — to equip, provide, prepare

歴史 is read れきし, meaning 'history.' The sentence means 'In history class, we discussed war and its responsibility.' Option 4 is the correct reading.

• 1えきし is an incorrect reading; the first kanji 歴 is read レキ, not エキ.
• 2ねきし is an incorrect reading; there is no reading ネキ for 歴.
• 3りきし is an incorrect reading; 歴 is not read リキ.

• 歴史れきし — history

戦争 is read せんそう, meaning 'war.' Option 3 gives the correct reading. The sentence means 'In history class, we discussed war and its responsibility.'

• 1せっそう is wrong; 戦 is read セン, not セッ (no small っ).
• 2せっぞう is wrong; both the 促音 (っ) and the vowel are incorrect.
• 4せんぞう is wrong; the second kanji 争 is read ソウ (long vowel), not ゾウ (voiced).

• 戦争せんそう — war

責任 is read せきにん, meaning 'responsibility.' Option 3 is correct. The sentence means 'In history class, we discussed war and its responsibility.'

• 1せいにん is wrong; 責 is read セキ, not セイ.
• 2せいりん is wrong; both syllables are incorrect — 責 is セキ and 任 is ニン.
• 4せきりん is wrong; the first part is right but 任 is read ニン, not リン.

• 責任せきにん — responsibility

議論 is read ぎろん, meaning 'discussion / debate.' Option 3 is correct. The sentence means 'In history class, we discussed war and its responsibility.'

• 1ろんぎ is wrong; this reverses the kanji order (論議 would be ろんぎ, a different word).
• 2ろうい is wrong; neither kanji has this reading.
• 4いろん is wrong; this would be 異論 (a different opinion/objection), not 議論.

• 議論ぎろん — discussion, debate