N3 Reading · Test 55

けれども (but/however) correctly marks the contrast between the preceding sentence (in Japan, many people talk about the weather) and the following sentence (in the writer's country, people don't talk about the weather much, so she didn't understand why). The conjunction けれども signals this opposition clearly.

• 1そのうえ (moreover/furthermore) adds information on top of what was just said. The relationship here is not addition but contrast, so it doesn't fit.
• 2つまり (in other words / that is to say) is used to restate or summarize the previous content. The following sentence is not a restatement; it presents a contrasting situation in the writer's home country.
• 4すると (then / thereupon) indicates a sequential or consequential relationship — 'when that happened, then...'. The following sentence is not a result of the previous one; it is a contrast.

• けれども — but, however (conjunctive indicating contrast)
• そのうえ — moreover, besides, in addition
• つまり — in other words, that is to say
• すると — then, thereupon (indicates what happened next)

言ってしまいました is the てしまう form of 言う, expressing that the writer ended up saying '寒いね' naturally and spontaneously, perhaps without intending to. This fits perfectly: she had previously thought weather talk was unnecessary, but one cold morning she found herself naturally blurting out '寒いね.' The 〜てしまう form captures this unintentional/spontaneous action.

• 1言われていました is passive ('was being told'). This would mean someone else said '寒いね' to the writer, but the context shows the writer herself said it (she later reflects on how weather talk can develop into interesting conversations).
• 2言ってもらいました means 'had someone say (it for me).' The writer is the one who spoke, not someone doing her a favor by speaking.
• 3言わせてみました is causative ('tried making someone say'). The writer didn't force anyone to say anything; she herself spoke naturally.

• 〜てしまう — to do something unintentionally/regretfully; to end up doing; completion of an action
• 言いう — to say, to speak
• 自然しぜんに — naturally, spontaneously

広がって is the て-form of 広がる (to spread, to expand). The sentence reads: '天気の話が天気に関係した話に広がって、おもしろいと思いました' — 'The weather talk expanded into weather-related topics, and I found it interesting.' The て-form connects the two clauses sequentially: the conversation broadened, and (as a result) she found it interesting.

• 2広がるより (rather than spreading) introduces a comparison, but there is nothing being compared against. The sentence would mean 'rather than the weather talk expanding into weather-related topics, I found it interesting,' which is grammatically and semantically unnatural here.
• 3広がるように (so that it spreads / as if it spreads) expresses purpose or similarity. Neither fits: the writer is describing what actually happened, not a purpose or a simile.
• 4広がったそうで (I heard that it spread) uses そうだ (hearsay). The writer experienced this firsthand, so hearsay is inappropriate.

• 広ひろがる — to spread, to expand, to broaden
• 関係かんけいする — to be related to, to concern

The context requires a positive statement: because Japan has four seasons with large temperature changes and frequent weather changes, many Japanese people probably have interest in the weather. Option 3 is the only non-negative choice among the four. The intended form is most likely 持っているのでしょう (probably have (interest)), which fits the sentence 関心を持っているのでしょう ('probably have interest in the weather'). The 〜のでしょう expresses the writer's reasoned conjecture based on the preceding explanation (そのため, 'for that reason').

• 1持ったはずがありません means 'there's no way they had interest.' This is strongly negative and contradicts the context — the passage explains why Japanese people ARE interested in weather.
• 2持ちたがりません means 'don't want to have (interest).' This is negative and contradicts the context. Also, 〜たがる describes observed desire in a third person, which doesn't fit the conjectural tone needed here.
• 4持とうとしません means 'don't try to have (interest).' This is negative and contradicts the context. The passage is explaining why Japanese people DO care about the weather.

• 関心を持つ（かんしんをもつ） — to have interest in, to be concerned about
• 〜のでしょう — probably ~; I think ~ (conjecture based on reasoning)
• 気温きおん — temperature (of air)
• 変化へんか — change, variation

これ (this) refers to the immediately preceding content: the writer's realization that weather talk is easy to do with anyone (天気の話は誰とでもしやすい). The sentence says 'これも天気の話をする人が多い理由の一つだと思います' — 'I think this is also one of the reasons why many people talk about the weather.' The も (also) indicates this is an additional reason on top of others mentioned earlier (e.g., the four seasons and changing weather). これ naturally points to what the writer has just stated.

• 1どれ (which) is an interrogative word used in questions. The sentence is a statement, not a question, so どれ is inappropriate.
• 3あれら (those) refers to things far from both speaker and listener. In Japanese discourse, あれ/あれら typically refers to things not present in the immediate context or shared experience. Here the referent is the immediately preceding sentence, so これ is more appropriate.
• 4それら (those) refers to multiple previously mentioned items. However, the sentence structure '理由の一つ' (one of the reasons) points to a single reason, and the referent is the single idea just stated (that weather talk is easy with anyone). これ is more natural for referring to one's own just-stated point.

• これ — this (refers to something at hand or just mentioned)
• それら — those (plural, refers to things previously mentioned)
• 理由りゆう — reason
• 〜の一つ（〜のひとつ） — one of ~