N3 Reading · Test 37

The correct answer is 1 (それ). The preceding sentence says the writer decided to buy a cute cup (かわいいコップ) she found. (19) refers to that cup, which was just mentioned in the discourse. それ is the appropriate pronoun for something already introduced/mentioned in the conversation or text. The sentence means 'When I took it to the register, something surprising happened.'

• 2あれ refers to something far from both the speaker and the listener (in space or memory). The cup is right there in the immediate context, not distant, so あれ is inappropriate.
• 3そっち means 'that way/there' (a direction or place), not an object. You cannot say そっちをレジに持っていった to mean 'took it to the register.'
• 4あっち also means 'that way/over there' (a direction or place), not a specific object. Same problem as そっち.

• それ — it (something already mentioned/known)
• あれ — that (something far from both speaker and listener)
• レジ — cash register, checkout counter
• 持もっていく — to take (something to a place)

The correct answer is 4 (言い直してくれました). The clerk first asked 「ご自宅用ですか。」which the writer didn't understand. Seeing this, the clerk rephrased the question as 「家で使いますか、プレゼントですか。」. 言い直す means 'to rephrase / say something in different words,' and 〜てくれました indicates someone did something for the speaker's benefit. So 言い直してくれました means 'rephrased it for me.'

• 1言い返す means 'to talk back / retort,' which implies an argumentative response, not rephrasing. The clerk is not arguing; they are kindly rephrasing.
• 2言い直しませんでした is the negative form — 'did not rephrase.' But the clerk clearly DID rephrase the question, so this contradicts the context.
• 3言い返さないでくれました means 'didn't talk back for me,' which is both the wrong verb (言い返す = retort) and nonsensical in this context.

• 言い直す（いいなおす） — to rephrase, to say again in different words
• 言い返す（いいかえす） — to talk back, to retort
• 〜てくれる — someone does something for the speaker's benefit
• ご自宅用（ごじたくよう） — for home use (polite)

The correct answer is 2 (すると). すると is a conjunction meaning 'then / thereupon,' used to describe what happened next as a natural sequence of events. After the writer answered 'プレゼントです,' the clerk then put the cup in a box and took out wrapping paper. すると smoothly connects these sequential actions in the narrative.

• 1実は means 'actually / in fact' and is used to introduce a truth or confession. It does not connect sequential events and doesn't fit the narrative flow here.
• 3ところで means 'by the way' and is used to change the topic. This is not a topic change; it's a continuation of the same event sequence.
• 4例えば means 'for example' and is used to give an example. There is no example being given here; it's a direct narrative sequence.

• すると — then, thereupon (used when describing what happened next)
• 実じつは — actually, in fact
• ところで — by the way (topic change)
• 例たとえば — for example

The correct answer is 3 (包まれていたみたいでした). The full sentence is 最初からきれいに包まれていたみたいでした, meaning 'It seemed as if it had been beautifully wrapped from the start.' The writer is expressing her impression/surprise that, despite the quick 15-second wrapping, the result looked as though it had been carefully wrapped from the beginning. 〜みたいでした (seemed like / looked like) conveys this subjective impression naturally.

• 1包まれていたものでした means 'it was something that had been wrapped.' The construction 〜ものでした implies 'it was the kind of thing that...' which doesn't fit the impression being expressed here.
• 2包まれていたことでした means 'it was the fact that it had been wrapped.' 〜ことでした is used for stating a fact or content of something, not for expressing an impression, and sounds unnatural here.
• 4包まれていたからでした means 'it was because it had been wrapped.' 〜からでした gives a reason/cause, but the sentence is not explaining a cause; it's describing the writer's impression of how beautiful the wrapping looked.

• 包つつむ — to wrap
• 〜みたいだ — seems like, looks like (impression)
• ぴったり — perfectly, exactly (fitting)
• 最初さいしょから — from the beginning, from the start

The correct answer is 2 (見せようと思っています). The writer says she wants to tell her family this story when she returns home, but words alone won't convey it. So she plans to buy souvenirs at a department store, have them wrapped, and show them to her family. 見せよう (volitional form of 見せる 'to show') + と思っています means 'I am thinking of showing (them),' expressing the writer's current intention. This matches the present-tense narrative of the essay.

• 1見せるだろうと思っていました means 'was thinking that (someone) would probably show.' This uses past tense (思っていました) and だろう (probably), which don't match the writer's current intention. Also, 見せるだろう implies someone else would show, not the writer's own plan.
• 3見せるだろうと思うはずです means 'should think that (someone) would probably show.' 〜はずです (should be expected to) is used for logical expectations about others, not for one's own intention. This is grammatically and semantically wrong here.
• 4見せようと思ったかもしれません means 'might have thought of showing.' 〜たかもしれません expresses past possibility/speculation, which doesn't fit the writer's clear current plan.

• 見みせる — to show (something to someone)
• 〜（よ）うと思っている（〜（よ）うとおもっている） — to be thinking of doing (one's ongoing intention)
• お土産（おみやげ） — souvenir, gift
• 伝つたわる — to be conveyed, to be communicated