N3 Vocabulary · Test 12

目標（もくひょう） means 'goal/target.' The pattern 「〜を目標にしてがんばる」 means 'to work hard with ~ as one's goal.' Mori is striving to become number one nationwide, so 'goal' fits perfectly: '森選手は、全国で1位になることを目標にしてがんばっている' = 'Athlete Mori is working hard, aiming to become number one in the country.'

• 1指定（してい） means 'designation/specification.' You cannot say 「指定にしてがんばる」; 指定 refers to officially assigning or designating something, not a personal aim.
• 2満点（まんてん） means 'full marks/perfect score,' used for tests or evaluations. It does not collocate with 「〜にしてがんばる」 in the sense of a goal to strive toward.
• 3一流（いちりゅう） means 'first-class/top-notch.' While you might want to become 一流, the phrase 「一流にしてがんばる」 is unnatural; 一流 is a status, not a target you set with 「〜にして」.

• 目標もくひょう — goal, target, objective
• 指定してい — designation, specification
• 満点まんてん — full marks, perfect score
• 一流いちりゅう — first-class, top-notch

自動的に（じどうてきに） means 'automatically.' The sentence says the entrance light turns on when it gets dark without pressing a switch — that is automatic behavior: '暗くなると自動的につきます' = 'when it gets dark, it turns on automatically.'

• 1人工的に（じんこうてきに） means 'artificially,' i.e., made by human artifice. A light turning on by itself is not 'artificial' in this sense; 人工的 contrasts with natural, not with manual.
• 3積極的に（せっきょくてきに） means 'actively/proactively,' describing a person's attitude. A light switch cannot be 'proactive.'
• 4具体的に（ぐたいてきに） means 'concretely/specifically,' used when giving detailed examples or descriptions. It does not describe how a device operates.

• 自動的じどうてきに — automatically
• 人工的じんこうてきに — artificially
• 積極的せっきょくてきに — actively, proactively
• 具体的ぐたいてきに — concretely, specifically

バケツ means 'bucket.' The sentence asks you to fill something with water for cleaning — a bucket is the correct container: 'このバケツに水を入れてきてください' = 'please go fill this bucket with water.'

• 1ロッカー means 'locker,' a storage cabinet. You cannot meaningfully fill a locker with water for cleaning.
• 3ブラシ means 'brush.' A brush is a cleaning tool but is not something you fill with water.
• 4タオル means 'towel.' A towel absorbs water but is not a container you fill.

• バケツ — bucket
• ロッカー — locker
• ブラシ — brush
• タオル — towel

The correct answer is 1. 乾燥 (かんそう). The sentence states that because there is little rain in this country, the air is always dry. The phrase 空気が乾燥している (the air is dry) is a natural and common expression in Japanese that perfectly fits the context of having little rain.

• 2縮小 (しゅくしょう) means 'reduction' or 'shrinking'. This is used when making something smaller in size or scale, such as a budget or a plan, and does not apply to air.
• 3沸騰 (ふっとう) means 'boiling'. This is used for liquids like water reaching their boiling point, and cannot be used to describe air.
• 4減少 (げんしょう) means 'decrease' or 'decline'. While rain might decrease, you cannot say that the air itself is 'decreasing' in this context.

• 乾燥かんそう — dryness, drying (to become dry)
• 縮小しゅくしょう — reduction, shrinking
• 沸騰ふっとう — boiling
• 減少げんしょう — decrease, reduction
• 空気くうき — air, atmosphere

発展（はってん） means 'development/growth.' The sentence describes a town that has been prosperous in trade and has grown as an economic center: '経済の中心地として発展してきた' = 'has developed as an economic center.' 発展する collocations naturally with a city or economy growing over time.

• 1進歩（しんぽ） means 'progress,' typically used for technology, science, or human skills advancing. A town or economy does not 「進歩する」 in this sense.
• 2出発（しゅっぱつ） means 'departure,' the start of a journey. A town does not 'depart' as an economic center.
• 4開始（かいし） means 'start/beginning.' While something can 開始する, the phrase 「経済の中心地として開始してきた」 is unnatural; you don't 'start' as a center — you develop into one.

• 発展はってん — development, growth
• 進歩しんぽ — progress (technology, science)
• 出発しゅっぱつ — departure
• 開始かいし — start, beginning

指導（しどう）means 'guidance, instruction, coaching.' When you say 山口さんに指導してもらいました, it means Yamaguchi-san gave you instruction or taught you. The closest paraphrase is 教えて（おしえて）'to teach, to instruct,' which matches the meaning of receiving guidance from someone.

• 2探して（さがして）means 'to search for, to look for.' This has nothing to do with receiving instruction.
• 3調べて（しらべて）means 'to investigate, to check.' This is about researching or examining something, not about being taught.
• 4決めて（きめて）means 'to decide.' This is unrelated to receiving guidance or instruction.

• 指導しどう — guidance, instruction, coaching
• 教おしえる — to teach, to instruct
• 探さがす — to search for, to look for
• 調しらべる — to investigate, to check
• 決きめる — to decide

トレーニング means 'training,' which refers to repeated practice to improve skills or physical condition. The closest paraphrase is 練習（れんしゅう）'practice,' which carries the same core meaning of repeated training to improve.

• 1準備（じゅんび）means 'preparation.' This is about getting ready for something, not about training or practicing.
• 2競争（きょうそう）means 'competition.' This is about competing against others, not about training.
• 3質問（しつもん）means 'question.' This is completely unrelated to training.

• トレーニング — training
• 練習れんしゅう — practice
• 準備じゅんび — preparation
• 競争きょうそう — competition
• 質問しつもん — question

手段（しゅだん）means 'means, method, way (of accomplishing something).' The sentence asks 'I thought about what means/methods are available.' The closest paraphrase is やり方（やりかた）'way of doing something, method,' which directly matches the idea of available methods or approaches.

• 1連絡（れんらく）means 'contact, communication.' This is a specific type of action, not a general term for means or methods.
• 2楽しみ（たのしみ）means 'enjoyment, fun, something to look forward to.' This is unrelated to means or methods.
• 4理由（りゆう）means 'reason.' This explains why something happens, not the method used to do it.

• 手段しゅだん — means, method, way of accomplishing something
• やり方（やりかた） — way of doing something, method
• 連絡れんらく — contact, communication
• 楽たのしみ — enjoyment, fun
• 理由りゆう — reason

ぺらぺら is an onomatopoeic expression meaning 'fluent, smooth-speaking,' specifically referring to the ability to speak a language smoothly and naturally. The closest paraphrase is 上手に話せます（じょうずにはなせます）'can speak well,' which captures the idea of fluent speaking ability.

• 1あまり書けません（あまりかけません）means 'cannot write very well.' This is about writing ability and is the opposite of fluent, so it is wrong in both skill (writing vs. speaking) and direction.
• 2上手に書けます（じょうずにかかけます）means 'can write well.' While this is positive, ぺらぺら specifically refers to speaking fluently, not writing.
• 3あまり話せません（あまりはなせません）means 'cannot speak very well.' This is the opposite of ぺらぺら, which means speaking fluently.

• ぺらぺら — fluent (in speaking a language), smooth-speaking
• 上手じょうず — skillful, good at
• 話はなせる — can speak (potential form of 話す)
• 書ける（かけれる） — can write (potential form of 書く)

ようやく means 'finally, at last,' expressing that something took a long time but eventually happened. The sentence says the singer 'finally' became famous. The closest paraphrase is やっと（やっと）'finally, at last,' which has the same meaning of something happening after a long wait or effort.

• 1とても（とても）means 'very, extremely.' This is an intensifier, not an expression of 'finally.'
• 3なぜか（なぜか）means 'for some reason, somehow.' This expresses uncertainty about a reason, unrelated to 'finally.'
• 4やっぱり（やっぱり）means 'as expected, after all.' This expresses confirmation of an expectation, not 'finally.' While it may sound similar to やっと, the meaning is entirely different.

• ようやく — finally, at last
• やっと — finally, at last
• とても — very, extremely
• なぜか — for some reason, somehow
• やっぱり — as expected, after all