N2 Vocabulary · Test 72

腕 is read うで, meaning arm. The sentence says the arm was stabbed with a knife.

• 1のど means throat, not arm.
• 2こし means waist/lower back, not arm.
• 4はら means belly/abdomen, not arm.

• 腕うで — arm

刺された is the passive past form of 刺す (さす, 'to stab/pierce'). In the passive, the さ of the stem remains and the auxiliary される attaches, giving さされる → さされた. The sentence means 'I was stabbed in the arm with a sharp knife by a robber.'

• 1おされた is the passive of 押す (おす, 'to push'), meaning 'was pushed'. Wrong verb and wrong kanji reading.
• 3ころされた is the passive of 殺す (ころす, 'to kill'), meaning 'was killed'. Different verb entirely.
• 4たおされた is the passive of 倒す (たおす, 'to knock down/defeat'), meaning 'was knocked down'. Different verb.

• 刺さす — to stab, to pierce
• 刺さされる — to be stabbed (passive)
• 強盗ごうとう — robber, robbery
• 鋭するどい — sharp
• 腕うで — arm

印刷 is read いんさつ. The kanji 印 is いん (on'yomi) and 刷 is さつ (on'yomi). The sentence means 'Printing technology has made considerable progress compared with the past.'

• 1いんそつ uses the wrong vowel in the second kanji (そ instead of さ).
• 2いんせつ uses the wrong vowel (せ instead of さ).
• 3いんしつ uses the wrong consonant+vowel (し instead of さ), making it resemble a different sound.

• 印刷いんさつ — printing
• 進歩しんぽ — progress, advancement
• 比くらべる — to compare

技術 is read ぎじゅつ. 技 takes the on'yomi ぎ (rendaku/voiced) and 術 is じゅつ. The sentence means 'Printing technology has made considerable progress compared with the past.'

• 1きじゅつ uses the unvoiced き for 技, but in this compound the correct reading is the voiced ぎ.
• 3きじつ uses unvoiced き and the wrong vowel じつ instead of じゅつ.
• 4ぎじつ has the correct voicing for 技 but the wrong vowel じつ instead of じゅつ for 術.

• 技術ぎじゅつ — technology, technique
• 印刷いんさつ — printing

比べて is the te-form of 比べる (くらべる, 'to compare'). The sentence means 'Printing technology has made considerable progress compared with the past.' 昔に比べて = 'compared with the past.'

• 1のべて is the te-form of 伸べる/延べる (のべる, 'to extend/stretch'), meaning 'extending' — wrong meaning.
• 2すべて is the word meaning 'all/everything', not a verb te-form and does not fit the grammar 〜に比べて.
• 4ならべて is the te-form of 並べる (ならべる, 'to line up/arrange'), meaning 'lining up' — wrong meaning.

• 比くらべる — to compare
• 昔むかし — old times, the past
• かなり — considerably, quite

日常 is read にちじょう, meaning 'everyday/daily.' The phrase 日常の現象 means 'everyday phenomena.' The key point is the long vowel じょう (with う) and the reading にち (not にっ).

• 1にっちょ is not a valid reading; it uses a small っ and drops the long vowel.
• 2にっちょう uses a small っ (geminate) instead of the correct ち (no gemination). This is a deliberate distractor testing the distinction between にち and にっ.
• 3にちじょ drops the long vowel う, making it an incomplete/invalid reading.

• 日常にちじょう — everyday, daily, ordinary

現象 is read げんしょう, meaning 'phenomenon.' The sentence describes writing papers about various everyday phenomena observed in society, which fits perfectly.

• 2げんじょう is an incorrect reading; there is no common word read this way for these kanji.
• 3げんそう could be confused with 幻想 (げんそう, 'fantasy/illusion'), but that is a different word entirely.
• 4げんぞう could be confused with 現像 (げんぞう, 'developing film'), but that is a different word.

• 現象げんしょう — phenomenon
• 専攻せんこう — major/specialization
• 分野ぶんや — field (of study)
• 人類学じんるいがく — anthropology

論文 is read ろんぶん, meaning 'thesis/academic paper.' The sentence says he is writing papers (論文) about various everyday phenomena in society.

• 1ろうぶん is an incorrect reading; the kanji 論 is read ろん, not ろう.
• 3ろうもん is incorrect; it mixes wrong readings for both kanji.
• 4ろんもん is incorrect; 文 is read ぶん here, not もん. 論門 is not a word.

• 論文ろんぶん — thesis, academic paper

映った is the past tense of 映る (うつる), meaning 'to be reflected.' The sentence says 'The face reflected (映った) in the mirror has left and right reversed,' which makes perfect sense.

• 1ひかった is the past tense of 光る (ひかる, 'to shine'), a different verb entirely.
• 3てった is not a valid reading for 映る.
• 4はった is not a valid reading for 映る.

• 映うつる — to be reflected (in a mirror, water, etc.)
• 逆ぎゃく — reverse, opposite

左右 is read さゆう, meaning 'left and right.' The sentence says 'The face reflected in the mirror has left and right (左右) reversed.'

• 1さう is not a valid reading for 左右.
• 2さゆ is missing the long vowel; the correct reading has a long う.
• 3さよう is incorrect; this could be confused with 左様 (さよう, 'thus/that way'), a different word.

• 左右さゆう — left and right, both sides