N2 Vocabulary · Test 87

Option 2 (きゅうそく) is correct. 急速（きゅうそく）means 'rapid, swift, fast.' 急 is read きゅう and 速 is read そく. The phrase 急速に means 'rapidly,' modifying 流行した 'spread/became popular.'

• 1きょうそく is a misreading using きょう (as in 今日 or 強) instead of きゅう for 急.
• 3きょうそう uses wrong readings for both characters; そう would fit characters like 騒 or 争, not 速.
• 4きゅうそう has the correct first character reading but そう is wrong for 速 (should be そく). This could be confused with 休講(きゅうこう) or similar words.

• 急速きゅうそく — rapid, swift, fast (speed)

Option 1 (りゅうこう) is correct. 流行（りゅうこう）means 'fashion, trend, popularity; to become prevalent.' 流 is read りゅう and 行 is read こう. The sentence says 'This kind of attire rapidly became popular among young people.'

• 2りょうこう uses りょう (as in 量 or 良) instead of りゅう for 流. This reading would fit 良好（りょうこう）'favorable.'
• 3りゅうぎょう uses ぎょう for 行, which is wrong here. This resembles 流業 or 漁業-type readings, not 流行.
• 4りょうぎょう has both characters misread; this resembles 漁業（りょうぎょう）'fishery,' a deliberate distractor.

• 流行りゅうこう — trend, fashion; becoming prevalent/popular

Option 3 (さいだい) is correct. 最大（さいだい）means 'largest, maximum, greatest.' 最 is read さい and 大 is read だい. The phrase 最大の原因 means 'the biggest cause.'

• 1さいたい uses たい for 大, which is the kun-yomi reading context (as in 大きい) but not the on-yomi だい used in 最大.
• 2せいたい misreads 最 as せい. This resembles 成体（せいたい）'adult body,' a deliberate distractor.
• 4せいだい misreads 最 as せい. This could be confused with 誠大 or similar, but is not a valid reading of 最大.

• 最大さいだい — largest, maximum, greatest

原因 (げんいん) means 'cause' or 'reason'. The reading is げんいん: 原(げん) + 因(いん). The sentence says 'the biggest cause was that, due to the spread of TV, information was transmitted nationwide simultaneously.'

• 1げにん is a misreading that inserts an extra に; there is no such word.
• 3げいいん reverses/inserts an extra い, producing a non-word.
• 4げいん drops the ん of the first kanji; this is not a valid reading.

• 原因げんいん — cause, reason

普及 (ふきゅう) means 'spread, wide diffusion'. The reading is ふきゅう: 普(ふ) + 及(きゅう). The sentence says 'because information was transmitted nationwide simultaneously due to the spread (普及) of TV.'

• 1ふきょう is the reading of 不況 (recession), a lookalike distractor.
• 2ふっきょう inserts a small っ, not a valid reading here.
• 3ふっきゅう inserts a small っ, not a valid reading.

• 普及ふきゅう — spread, wide diffusion, popularization

あいまい means 'ambiguous, vague.' The sentence says 'This expression is ambiguous and hard to understand,' which is a natural and common collocation.

• 1軟弱 (なんじゃく) means 'weak, flimsy' (physically or in character). It is not used to describe expressions.
• 2質素 (しっそ) means 'simple, plain, frugal' (lifestyle, clothing). It doesn't describe unclear expressions.
• 4ささやか means 'modest, small-scale' (events, wishes, meals). It doesn't describe clarity of expression.

• あいまい — ambiguous, vague
• 軟弱なんじゃく — weak, flimsy
• 質素しっそ — simple, plain, frugal
• ささやか — modest, small-scale

有効 (ゆうこう) means 'valid, effective.' The phrase 有効です is the standard way to say a ticket, coupon, or contract 'is valid (until a certain date).' The sentence reads: 'This ticket is valid until tomorrow.'

• 1利点 (りてん) means 'advantage, merit.' A ticket is not 'an advantage until tomorrow.'
• 2権利 (けんり) means 'right (legal/moral).' While a ticket grants a right, you don't say a ticket 'is a right until tomorrow.'
• 3効用 (こうよう) means 'effect, utility, efficacy' (of medicine, a method). It is not used for ticket validity periods.

• 有効ゆうこう — valid, effective
• 利点りてん — advantage, merit
• 権利けんり — right (legal/moral)
• 効用こうよう — effect, utility, efficacy

とりあえず means 'for now, for the time being, tentatively.' 一応 (いちおう) is the closest synonym — it also means 'for now, tentatively, just in case.' The sentence means 'I spoke to the president on the phone for now (as a preliminary step).'

• 1さっき means 'a little while ago.' とりあえず does not refer to past timing.
• 2すぐに means 'immediately, right away.' While とりあえず can involve acting promptly, its core nuance is 'for now/as a first step,' not speed.
• 4直接 means 'directly.' The sentence already specifies 電話で (by phone), and とりあえず has nothing to do with directness.

• とりあえず — for now, for the time being, as a first step
• 一応いちおう — for now, tentatively, just in case
• さっき — a little while ago
• すぐに — immediately, right away

ゆずって is the te-form of 譲る (ゆずる), which means 'to yield, to transfer (ownership).' In this context — a friend letting the speaker have a bike cheaply — 譲る effectively means 'to sell/let go of (at a low price).' 売って (うって, te-form of 売る 'to sell') is the correct paraphrase.

• 2貸して (かして) means 'lending.' 譲る involves transferring ownership, not temporarily letting someone borrow.
• 3預かって (あずかって) means 'keeping/taking care of (something for someone).' This is the opposite direction — holding something, not giving it away.
• 4直して (なおして) means 'fixing/repairing.' 譲る has nothing to do with repairing.

• 譲ゆずる — to yield, to transfer (ownership), to let someone have
• 売うる — to sell
• 貸かす — to lend
• 預あずかる — to keep, to take care of

「雑談（ざつだん）」means casual conversation or small talk. The sentence says 'While having 雑談, a good idea came to mind.' Option 2, おしゃべり (chatting/casual talk), is the correct synonym.

• 1「あいさつ」means 'greeting,' not casual conversation.
• 3「説明（せつめい）」means 'explanation,' a formal act of clarifying something, not chatting.
• 4「報告（ほうこく）」means 'report,' conveying information formally, not casual talk.

• 雑談ざつだん — casual conversation, small talk
• おしゃべり — chatting, casual talk
• あいさつ — greeting
• 説明せつめい — explanation
• 報告ほうこく — report