N3 Reading · Test 12

Option 3 「わかってきました」is correct. The sentence says: 'At first I found it strange why everyone uses trains, but after 3 months in Tokyo, the reason has become clear to me.' The grammar pattern ～てくる describes a change or process that has been occurring up to the present moment. Since the writer is reflecting on a change that happened over the 3 months leading up to now, 「わかってきました」(came to understand / has become clear) is the right choice.

• 1「わかってくるはずです」means 'should come to understand.' The modal はずです expresses expectation/supposition about the future, but the context is about something that has already happened (he spent 3 months and now understands). It does not fit the past-to-present change described here.
• 2「わかっていくそうです」combines ～ていく (change continuing away from the present, i.e., into the future) with そうです (hearsay). This would mean 'I hear (he/it) will continue to understand going forward,' which is both hearsay and future-oriented—neither fits the writer's own past-to-present realization.
• 4「わかっていったようです」uses ～ていった (a change that progressed away from the speaker, in the past) plus ようです (seems). This would mean 'it seems (someone) came to understand,' describing someone else's past process with uncertainty. The writer is describing his own clear realization, so this does not fit.

• ～てくる — grammar pattern indicating a change or process that has been happening up to the present; 'has come to ~'
• ～ていく — grammar pattern indicating a change that will continue from now into the future; 'will go on ~ing'
• 理由（りゆう） — reason

Option 4 「それから」is correct. The passage is listing multiple reasons why Tokyo trains are convenient. First reason: there are many stations so you can go anywhere. Second reason: trains are rarely delayed and the next one comes quickly. 「それから」(and also / furthermore) is the appropriate conjunction for adding another item to a list of reasons.

• 1「したがって」means 'therefore / consequently.' It expresses cause-and-effect, but the second sentence (trains are rarely delayed) is not a result of the first (many stations). These are two independent reasons, so a causal connector is wrong.
• 2「つまり」means 'in other words / that is to say.' It is used to rephrase or summarize what was just said. The second sentence is not a rephrasing of the first—it introduces a new point—so this does not fit.
• 3「たとえば」means 'for example.' The second sentence is not an example of the first; it is an additional, separate reason. Using 'for example' here would incorrectly subordinate the second point as an illustration of the first.

• それから — and then; furthermore; also (used to add another point)
• したがって — therefore; consequently
• つまり — in other words; that is to say
• たとえば — for example

Option 3 「こういう電車」is correct. The preceding sentence gives a concrete example: 'The train I use comes every 3 minutes during rush hour.' The writer then says 'If it is this kind of train, I understand why everyone wants to use it.' 「こういう」(this kind of) refers back to the situation just described—frequent, convenient trains. The pattern 「こういう～なら」(if it's this kind of ~) naturally connects the example to the conclusion.

• 1「ある電車」means 'a certain train' or 'some train.' It refers to an unspecified, unidentified train, which does not match the context where the writer has just described a specific, well-defined situation (trains coming every 3 minutes).
• 2「そこの電車」means 'the train there,' pointing to a physical location. There is no specific location being pointed at in this context; the writer is describing a general characteristic of Tokyo trains, not a train at a particular spot.
• 4「どちらかの電車」means 'one of the two trains' or 'either train.' There is no choice between two trains being discussed, so this expression has no relevant referent in the passage.

• こういう — this kind of; such (refers to something just described)
• ある — a certain; some (unspecified)
• ラッシュアワー（らっしゅあわー） — rush hour

Option 2 「なぜなのか」is correct. The sentence reads: 'I don't understand why this is.' The writer has just described a puzzling situation: trains come one after another so there is no need to rush, yet many people rush through the station. He is asking 'why does this happen?' 「なぜなのか」(why it is) directly captures this question of cause/reason, and 「これがなぜなのかわかりません」= 'I don't understand why this is the case.'

• 1「答えなのか」means 'what the answer is.' The writer is not puzzled about what the answer is; he is puzzled about the cause of people's behavior. 'Answer' presupposes a question has been posed and a solution sought, which does not match the simple state of not understanding a reason.
• 3「理由なのか」means 'what the reason is.' While seemingly close, the sentence would become 「これが理由なのかわかりません」= 'I don't understand what the reason is,' which is redundant and slightly unnatural. The writer already knows there IS a reason; he wants to know WHY the behavior occurs. 「なぜなのか」(why it is) captures this directly, whereas 「理由なのか」would sound like he is unsure whether something qualifies as a reason.
• 4「だれなのか」means 'who it is.' The subject of confusion is not a person's identity but a behavioral phenomenon, so asking 'who' makes no sense in this context.

• なぜ — why
• ～なのか — whether it is ~ / what ~ is (embedded question with noun + な + なのか)
• 理由（りゆう） — reason

Option 1 「なるのでしょうか」is correct. The sentence reads: 'If I live in Japan for a long time, will I also become the same way?' The writer is speculating about a hypothetical future: if he stays long enough, will he also end up rushing like the Japanese people? 「～のでしょうか」expresses a wondering or uncertain question about the future, which perfectly matches the contemplative tone of the essay's conclusion. The conditional 「～たら」sets up a hypothetical, and the speaker wonders about the outcome.

• 2「なったでしょう」means 'probably became / would have become.' This is past tense and expresses conjecture about something that already happened. But the writer has NOT yet lived in Japan for a long time—this is a hypothetical future scenario—so past tense is inappropriate.
• 3「なってしまうのです」means 'will end up becoming' (with a sense of regret or inevitability). This states the outcome as a near-certainty, which conflicts with the writer's wondering, uncertain tone. He is asking whether it will happen, not declaring that it will.
• 4「なってしまいました」means 'ended up becoming' in the past tense. This describes something that has already occurred with a sense of regret. The writer has not yet experienced this change, so past tense is completely wrong here.

• ～のでしょうか — I wonder if ~ will; will ~? (expresses uncertainty/wondering about the future)
• ～てしまう — to end up doing ~; to do ~ completely (often carries a sense of regret or inevitability)
• ～たら — if ~ (conditional); when ~