Lesson 31
Reading the news (2): links & results
- 1 〜ことが分かった ~koto ga wakatta it has emerged that ~ The first sentence of a news story — a new fact has come to light through an investigation or reporting.
- 2 〜を受けて ~o ukete in response to / following ~ Something happened or was announced — and in response someone took action. The form of news and notices.
- 3 〜中、 ~naka amid ~ / as ~ continues The background clause that opens a news story — 'with this situation going on…'. Read it なか, not ちゅう.
- 4 〜形となった ~katachi to natta it ended up as ~ / the outcome took the form of ~ The closing line of news analysis — describing, from the outside, what overall picture the outcome made.
- 5 〜に踏み切る ~ni fumikiru to go ahead with ~ (after hesitating) After long hesitation, deciding to take a big step even knowing the risk.
- 6 〜にとどまる ~ni todomaru to stay at only ~ / be limited to ~ In statistics news — the number or range stopped right there and went no further.
- 7 〜か否か ~ka ina ka whether or not ~ (formal) The stiff, written version of 「かどうか」— in official forms, rules and the news.
Lesson check
All 7 forms of this lesson together — pick the right one from its look-alikes, the way the exam does. 6/8 completes the lesson.
🔒
「工場で火災が起きた原因は、機械の故障だった＿＿、消防の調べで分かった。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:A new fact came out of an investigation.
〜ことが、〜の調べで分かった = it was found through the investigation. 「中」「を受けて」「にとどまり」don't attach after 「だった」and don't fit 'was found' either.
「大雨の特別警報＿＿、市は全域に避難指示を出した。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:A warning came in → the city's response.
警報を受けて = in response to the warning. 「に踏み切る」takes a big step you take yourself, not a warning; 「にとどまり」and 「か否か」make no sense here.
「円安が続く＿＿、海外からの観光客は過去最多となった。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:An ongoing situation — the background.
続く中（なか）、 = as it continues (background). 「を受けて」only follows a noun (続くを受けて ✗); 「形となった」ends a sentence; 「にとどまり」doesn't fit the meaning.
「話し合いの結果、市と住民が費用を半分ずつ負担する＿＿。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:The picture that came out of the talks.
負担する形となった = it ended up with each side paying half. 「に踏み切る」and 「を受ける」follow nouns, not a dictionary-form verb; 「中だった」doesn't describe an outcome.
「赤字が続き、同社は国内工場の閉鎖＿＿。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Losses → the company's big decision after hesitating.
閉鎖に踏み切った = went ahead with closing the factories. 「形となった」and 「ことが分かった」can't attach straight to a noun (they need の／という／だった); 「閉鎖を受けた」doesn't express the company's own decision.
「若者の投票率は、過去最低の38％＿＿。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:A number that went no higher.
38％にとどまった = stayed at only 38%. A turnout rate can't decide (踏み切る ✗) or respond (受ける ✗); 「か否か」asks 'yes or no'.
「この制度を利用できる＿＿は、世帯の収入によって決まります。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Can or can't — that is what gets decided.
利用できるか否かは = whether or not you can use it. 「ことがは」is ungrammatical; 「中は」and 「を受けては」make no sense.
Which sentence is correct?
💡 Hint:Recall the key rule of each form.
In response to an event (客の減少, を受けて) the shop took a big step (に踏み切った) — correct. 「中」doesn't take a one-moment event, 「を受けて」not a natural result, and 「にとどまる」not a number that rose a lot.
Your score: /8