2012/07 JLPT N2 Reading Comprehension test

This describes an action the robot can perform, but not what makes it different from *previous* robots. The key difference is its ability to *understand* and then act.

The passage says '今までも人工知能は使われていた' (AI has been used until now), so it's not the first robot to use AI. It's the first to understand meaning from human input.

The passage states '初めに単語や文法を数えておく必要はないし、外国語の学習も可能ということだからまったく驚きだ' (There's no need to pre-count words or grammar, and foreign language learning is possible, which is surprising). This is a capability, but not the *fundamental difference* highlighted as 'world's first' which is the understanding of human words/actions.

The announcement explicitly states that '電気製品' (electrical appliances) are not accepted ('電気製品・おもちゃは受け付けておりませんので、ご遠慮ください').

A '電気ポット' (electric pot) is an electrical appliance and thus not accepted. '一度だけ使用した' (used only once) also violates the 'unused' condition for the coffee cup.

While 'お皿' (dishes) are accepted, the condition 'いずれも未使用のものに限らせていただきます' (limited to unused items) is violated by '一度しか使っていない' (used only once).

While words convey messages, the passage emphasizes what they reveal about the *speaker's* heart, not necessarily their impact on the listener's heart.

The passage focuses on the origin and meaning of unconsciously spoken words, not their effect on moving others' hearts.

The passage states the opposite: unconsciously spoken words '正直に本心をつたえている' (honestly convey one's true feelings), meaning they *reveal* the heart, not hide it.

While the amount of mail decreased after retirement, the passage focuses on the *meaning* of receiving mail as proof of existence, not just the enjoyment of opening it.

The passage states the author's mail (mostly junk) was thrown away without opening, not his father's mail. This is not the reason for the father's grumpiness.

The passage mentions the author's mail was mostly junk, but it doesn't state the same for the father's mail, nor is this the reason given for the father's mood. The issue is the *quantity* relative to the author's, and what that quantity signifies.

The passage states '人材の育成には時間がかかる' (talent development takes time), but it doesn't say that unfair evaluation prevents short-term development. It focuses on long-term decline.

The passage states organizations '優秀な人材の獲得に躍起になり' (are desperate to acquire excellent talent) because of the importance of fair evaluation, implying that without it, acquisition would be difficult, but the direct consequence mentioned for unfair evaluation is 'decline' of the organization itself.

The passage states organizations '強い関心を払ってきた' (have paid strong attention) to fair evaluation systems, implying that without it, interest might wane, but the direct consequence mentioned is the organization's decline, not just a lack of interest in it.

The author mentions '僕にも友達が出来なくて辛い時期があった' (there was a painful period when I couldn't make friends), so it's not about having enough friends, but about the nature of friendship formation.

The author's point is not about the difficulty of making friends, but about the fundamental concept that true friends are not 'made' at all.

While mutual feeling is part of true friendship, the core of the author's disagreement is with the *act* of 'making' friends, not just the reciprocity of the feeling.

The passage distinguishes between his school days and his solitary work life. While he reflects on past companions, it's not explicitly stated that these '彼ら' are connected through both school and work.

The author states he worked '孤独に' (alone) since entering society, implying that the '素晴らしい仲間たち' who were his '大いなる大地' (great foundation) are not necessarily his current work colleagues, but rather the friends from his past (school days) who provided that foundational support.

The passage specifically focuses on the 'natural' friendships that formed his 'roots,' which is a more specific group than 'everyone he met in life.'

The passage implies a foundational, internal support rather than a constant physical presence or direct watching over him.

While he reflects on them when working alone, their role is described as a continuous 'foundation' and 'roots' that enable him, not just something remembered in loneliness.

The author explicitly states he has worked '孤独に' (alone) since entering society, indicating that he is not currently sharing many experiences with these friends in the present.

The passage states that human mouths receded, but it does not say other mammals' mouths evolved in the same way. In fact, it implies they remained forward and hard.

The reason for the mouth being forward is for grasping food, not necessarily for speed compared to other animals.

This describes the human mouth's evolution, not the mouth of other mammals, which still use it as an attacking tool.

The passage states the mouth became softer and receded, implying it *did* become less hard and more receded, not that it didn't need to be. The blank refers to the *necessity* of its forward position.

While the mouth's role in attack diminished, the blank is specifically about its role in *eating* and its physical position ('一番前にとび出ていなくても').

The passage implies the mouth's role in eating *changed* (hands assist), not that it stopped being used for eating. It also had an attacking role, so it was never *only* for eating.

The mouth became soft *because* its attacking role diminished due to hand use, not that it was soft from the start and thus couldn't be an attacking tool.

The passage mentions using *hands* for attack, but not *feet*. The primary reason for mouth change is the shift of both eating and attacking functions to the hands.

This statement is too broad; it says 'mammals' (哺乳類) started using hands, but the passage specifically discusses *humans* (人間) and their bipedalism as the cause for this change, not all mammals.

While supporting child-rearing might indirectly affect population, the passage does not state that stopping Japan's population decline is the company's direct purpose.

The leave covers children up to junior high school age, not just preschoolers, and its purpose is general child-rearing support, not specifically to increase parental interest in education.

The goal is to support child-rearing and encourage male participation, not to increase unpaid leave takers to boost production efficiency. In fact, it aims to reduce burden.

The passage does not state that both parents must work for the company.

The leave is for *all* employees (社員), not just male employees, although it aims to encourage male participation.

The leave is available for employees with *one* child (5 days) or *two or more* children (10 days), and it applies to children before junior high school, not just elementary school children, and not necessarily two or more for eligibility.

This was required under the old system for nursing leave, but the new 'Child-rearing Leave' does not require it.

While school events are a reason for leave, the passage states that under the new system, only an application is needed, without specific proof documents.

While age is a condition for eligibility, the passage states that for the *procedure* of taking leave, only an application is needed, implying no age certificate is required for each application (it might be checked upon initial eligibility, but not for every leave request).

While both passages discuss wanting to escape from difficult situations (including work in B), this is a statement about the *feeling* of wanting to escape, not a common *message* about the act of escaping itself.

Passage B advises to 'よく考えてほしい' (think carefully) before escaping, indicating that one should not escape 'without hesitation.'

Neither passage suggests that escaping leads to an 'easy' life. Passage B implies it can be a difficult decision, and A suggests it's a last resort, not a path to ease.

A does not advise against rushing the decision, and B explicitly states that escaping is *not* losing if it's the right decision, contradicting the idea of telling oneself it's a defeat.

A says 'どうしようもない時には、逃げればいい' (when things are unbearable, it's okay to escape). B says '悩みが解決できないなら逃げてもよい' (if problems can't be solved, it's okay to escape) is not what B says. B says to face the feeling and if convinced, then it's not losing.

A says 'いつもいつも逃げてばかりいては、どうにもならないけれど' (constantly escaping won't solve anything), so it doesn't advocate escaping 'anytime.' B does not specifically mention thinking about one's future, but rather facing the feeling and considering if escaping is the solution.

The passage mentions '誤った思い込み' (mistaken belief) about simplicity, but this is something to be overcome, not an 'important thing' to be preserved.

The author argues that true simplicity is a result of refinement, not something to be discarded. The 'important thing' is what is *lost* when simplicity is misunderstood.

Japanese people have a '強いあこがれ' (strong longing) for simplicity, but this longing itself is not the 'important thing' that is discarded; rather, it's the *misunderstanding* of simplicity that leads to discarding important elements.

The author argues that products that are merely '単純' (simple) are like 'チューインガム商品' (chewing gum products) that quickly lose their taste and are boring. True depth comes from complexity.

The author criticizes the mistaken belief that simplicity means having '要素が少なく単純なこと' (few and simple elements). He argues true simplicity is deeper.

The passage states that Japanese culture's simplicity is a *result of refinement* ('洗練された結果'), and that products made by discarding elements lack '味' (taste/depth).

The goal is not to make things *complex* for complexity's sake, but to handle inherent complexity and conflicting elements to achieve a refined, deep simplicity.

The author explicitly states that '悩み' (troubles/worries) are 'とても重要で' (very important) and criticizes the discarding of '悩み' in pursuit of a superficial simplicity.

The author criticizes '切り捨ててしまう' (discarding) important things. The key is to *preserve* and *refine* complex, intertwined elements, not to discard them.

The pass has a price, and the office is listed with a phone number, not as a free distribution point.

While some tourist facilities might be purchase points (e.g., hotels), the list of purchase locations is broader and includes stations and convenience stores, not just 'main tourist facilities.'

The pass must be purchased; it is not given away when riding public transport.

The 5% discount applies only to purchases '2,000以上の買い物' (over 2,000 yen), not all purchases.

The '①乗る' (Ride) section states '市内でも長距離の場合は追加料金を払っていただくことがあります' (additional fees may apply for long distances even within the city), so it's not free regardless of distance.

The '④食べる' (Eat) section states '飲み物のサービスが受けられます' (free drink service), not a 10% discount on meals.