N4 Reading · Test 17

The sentence says: たんじょうびに 田中さんが（送ってくれた）日本のカードは とても きれいですね。ありがとうございました。In is writing to Tanaka, thanking Tanaka for sending a birthday card. The particle が marks 田中さん as the one who performed the action (sending). ～てくれた means 'someone did something for me (the speaker's benefit),' which matches perfectly: Tanaka sent a card to In, and In is grateful.

• 1送ってあげた means 'I (the speaker) sent (something) for someone else's benefit.' This reverses the direction — it would mean In sent the card to Tanaka, which contradicts the thank-you message.
• 3送ってやった also means 'I did (something) for someone (often of lower status or in a condescending tone).' Like option 1, the direction is wrong, and やった is inappropriate for a polite letter.
• 4送ってもらった means 'I received the favor of (someone) sending (something).' While the meaning is close, with もらった the subject of the sentence would be 私 (the receiver), not 田中さん. The stem has 田中さんが, so くれた is required.

• 送おくる — to send
• ～てくれる — someone does something for me (the speaker's benefit)
• ～てもらう — I receive the favor of someone doing something for me
• ～てあげる — I do something for someone else's benefit
• カード — card (e.g., greeting card)

The sentence is: 私（は）先月大学を卒業して、今は貿易会社に勤めています。Here 私は introduces 'as for me' as the topic of the sentence, which then continues with what In did (graduated) and is doing now (working). The topic marker は is the natural choice to shift the topic to oneself in a letter.

• 1なら means 'if' (conditional). 私なら先月大学を卒業して… would mean 'If it were me, I would have graduated…,' which doesn't fit the factual statement being made.
• 2と as a particle here would mean 'with' or 'and,' implying 'I and (something) graduated,' which is grammatically incomplete and nonsensical in this context.
• 3が would mark 私 as the subject with emphasis/contrast. While not strictly impossible, in this letter context where In is simply stating facts about himself as the topic, は is the natural and correct choice. が would imply contrastive emphasis ('I, as opposed to others…'), which is not intended here.

• 私わたし — I, me
• は — topic marker particle
• 卒業そつぎょうする — to graduate
• 勤つとめる — to work at, to be employed at

The sentence is: それで、貿易会社に（入りました）。仕事はいそがしいですが、楽しいです。The context says In graduated last month and is now working at a trading company. 入りました (past tense, 'entered/joined') correctly describes a completed action — In already joined the company. The following sentence '仕事はいそがしいですが、楽しいです' (the work is busy but fun) confirms In is already working there.

• 1入りそうです means 'it looks like (I) will enter.' This is a prediction about the future, but In has already joined and is already working, so this doesn't fit.
• 2入るところです means 'I am about to enter.' This describes an action that is just about to happen, but In has already entered the company and is currently working there.
• 4入ったことがあります means 'I have the experience of having entered (a trading company) before.' This describes past experience in general, not a specific recent event. The context is about a specific, recent action (joining this particular company), so simple past 入りました is correct.

• 入はいる — to enter, to join (a company/school)
• ～そうです — looks like it will (based on appearance)
• ～ところです — about to / just did (depending on tense before it)
• ～たことがあります — have the experience of having done something

The sentence is: （ぜひ）田中さんに会いたいです。In is asking if they can meet during In's trip to Tokyo. ぜひ means 'by all means, definitely, certainly' and is commonly used with expressions of desire or requests to emphasize strong feeling: ぜひ会いたいです = 'I definitely want to meet you.' This fits the eager, hopeful tone of the letter perfectly.

• 2では means 'well then / in that case.' ぜひでは田中さんに会いたいです doesn't make sense grammatically — では cannot modify a verb phrase like 会いたいです in this way.
• 3例えば means 'for example.' ぜひ例えば田中さんに会いたいです is nonsensical — 'for example, I want to meet Tanaka' has no logical connection here.
• 4そして means 'and then.' While そして can connect sentences, placing it before 田中さんに会いたいです doesn't work naturally. The sentence needs an adverb expressing strong desire, not a conjunction.

• ぜひ — by all means, definitely (used with desires/requests)
• では — well then, in that case
• 例たとえば — for example
• そして — and then
• 会あいたい — want to meet

The sentence is: 私は会社でお茶の輸出の仕事をしています。（飲んでみてください）。おいしいですよ。In is sending tea along with the letter and telling Tanaka about it. 飲んでみてください means 'please try drinking it.' This is a natural, polite request for the recipient to try the tea, followed by おいしいですよ ('it's delicious'), which serves as a recommendation. The direction is correct: In is asking Tanaka to try the tea.

• 1飲んでみてもいいですか means 'May I try drinking it?' This is asking for permission, but In is the one sending the tea — In should be telling Tanaka to try it, not asking permission to drink it himself.
• 3飲んでみましょうか means 'Shall I try drinking it?' This is offering to do the action oneself, which is the wrong direction. In is not going to drink the tea; Tanaka is.
• 4飲んでみようと思います means 'I'm thinking of trying to drink it.' This describes In's own intention to drink the tea, which doesn't make sense since In is sending the tea to Tanaka as a gift.

• ～てみる — to try doing something
• ～てください — please do (polite request)
• ～てもいいですか — may I do? (asking permission)
• ～ましょうか — shall I do? (offering to do)
• ～ようと思います（～ようとおもいます） — I'm thinking of doing (intention)