Sentence ordering and filling in blanks

The correct order is イ→エ→ア→オ→ウ. Only イ has neither a pointing word nor a connective, and it introduces the topic of uchimizu, so it comes first. 'This custom' in エ picks up the uchimizu of イ. 'The heat taken away' in ア picks up 'takes heat' in エ. オ uses the term 'heat of vaporisation' that ア has just named, so it comes after ア. ウ sums the whole up with 'in this way', so it comes last. Each wrong choice swaps some link in this chain: put オ earlier and the heat of vaporisation has not been defined yet, while 'the heat taken away' in ア loses what it refers to. Put ウ in the middle and explanation follows the summing-up, which breaks the flow.

The correct order is ウ→イ→オ→ア→エ. ウ is the sentence that first introduces the postal code, so it comes first. 'That code' in イ picks up ウ. 'Once the region can be told from digits' in オ takes up the content of イ again. 'That work' in ア points to 'a person reading the address character by character' in オ. エ is the summing-up with 'in this way', so it comes last. Each wrong choice swaps some link in this chain: move ア forward and nothing earlier says what 'that work' is. Put オ before イ and the conditional starts without ever establishing that the region can be read from digits.

The correct order is ウ→オ→イ→エ→ア. ウ first introduces the word 'pictogram', so it comes first. 'These symbols' in オ picks up ウ. 'Because the meaning comes across as a picture' in イ picks up 'the meaning comes across without reading any text' in オ. 'The property of getting through regardless of language' in エ picks up イ. ア is the summing-up with 'in this way' and comes last. Each wrong choice swaps some link in this chain: move エ forward and the property of getting through regardless of language has not been stated yet. Put オ first and 'these symbols' has nothing to point to.

The correct order is ウ→オ→イ→エ→ア, so the fourth is エ. ウ first introduces the word 'pictogram', so it comes first. 'These symbols' in オ picks up ウ. 'Because the meaning comes across as a picture' in イ picks up 'the meaning comes across without reading any text' in オ. 'The property of getting through regardless of language' in エ picks up イ. ア is the summing-up with 'in this way' and comes last. Once ウ, オ and イ are fixed as first, second and third, only エ and ア remain, and since the summing-up ア goes last, エ is settled as the fourth.

The correct order is エ→ア→ウ→イ→オ. エ introduces the topic, so it comes first. ア begins with 'it is unusual because', picking up 'unusual property' in エ, and gives the reason. 'Water, however' in ウ sets water against 'ordinary substances' in ア. 'When the volume grows' in イ picks up 'the volume actually grows' in ウ. オ is the summing-up with 'in this way' and comes last. Each wrong choice swaps some link in this chain: put ウ earlier and 'however' has nothing to overturn. Put ア first and the word 'unusual' has not appeared before it.

The correct order is ア→ウ→オ→イ→エ. ア introduces the topic of minutes, so it comes first. 'That sharing' in ウ picks up 'so that what was decided can be shared' in ア. 'To avoid the repetition' in オ picks up 'has to be held all over again' in ウ. 'If you write them separately' in イ picks up 'write decisions and carried-over items separately' in オ. エ is the summing-up with 'in this way' and comes last. Each wrong choice swaps some link in this chain: move イ forward and the method of writing them separately has not been given yet. Put ウ first and 'that sharing' has nothing to point to.

The correct order is エ→ウ→ア→オ→イ. エ introduces the topic of gojūon order, so it comes first. 'This arrangement' in ウ picks up エ. 'Once you have a rough idea' in ア picks up 'you can guess roughly' in ウ. 'Once you are close' in オ picks up 'you can get close' in ア. イ is the summing-up with 'in this way' and comes last. Each wrong choice swaps some link in this chain: put ウ first and 'this arrangement' has nothing to point to. Put オ before ア and you are talking about being close before anything has brought you close.

The correct order is オ→イ→エ→ウ→ア. オ is the sentence that defines street trees, so it comes first. 'These trees' in イ picks up オ. 'Where there is shade' in エ picks up 'cast shade' in イ. 'Beyond lowering the temperature' in ウ picks up 'the temperature people feel drops' in エ. ア is the summing-up with 'in this way' and comes last. Each wrong choice swaps some link in this chain: move ウ forward and nothing before it says the temperature drops. Put イ first and 'these trees' has nothing to point to.

The correct order is イ→オ→エ→ア→ウ. イ introduces the topic, so it comes first. 'The reason' in オ picks up what イ says. 'Estimate on the shortest case' in エ picks up 'estimating on the shortest case' in オ. 'A margin that can absorb them' in ア picks up 'no absorbing' in エ. ウ is the summing-up with 'in this way' and comes last. Each wrong choice swaps some link in this chain: move ア forward and the idea of absorbing has not appeared yet. Put オ first and there is no telling what 'the reason' is a reason for.

The correct order is イ→オ→エ→ア→ウ, so the second is オ. イ introduces the topic, so it comes first. 'The reason' in オ picks up what イ says. 'Estimate on the shortest case' in エ picks up 'estimating on the shortest case' in オ. 'A margin that can absorb them' in ア picks up 'no absorbing' in エ. ウ is the summing-up with 'in this way' and comes last. The only sentence that can stand first is イ, which has neither a pointing word nor a connective, and the sentence that picks イ up is オ, which begins with 'the reason'.

The correct order is イ→エ→ア→ウ→オ. イ is the sentence that defines dialect, so it comes first. 'This way of speaking' in エ picks up イ. 'On the other hand' in ア overturns the good side stated in エ. 'Where the meaning fails to reach' in ウ picks up 'sometimes fails to reach' in ア. オ sums the whole up with 'in short', so it comes last. Each wrong choice swaps some link in this chain: move ア forward and 'on the other hand' has nothing to contrast with. Put ウ before ア and 'where the meaning fails to reach' has nothing to point to.

The correct order is ウ→エ→イ→オ→ア. ウ states the mechanism of drying, so it comes first. 'This evaporation' in エ picks up 'evaporates' in ウ. 'As the air grows damp' in イ picks up the reverse of 'faster the drier the air is' in エ. 'The effect of that replacement' in オ picks up 'replace the damp air' in イ. ア is the summing-up with 'in this way' and comes last. Each wrong choice swaps some link in this chain: move オ forward and the word 'replacement' has not appeared before it. Put エ first and 'this evaporation' has nothing to point to.

The correct order is ウ→ア→エ→オ→イ. ウ is the first to bring up both the contents and the index, so it comes first. ア explains the contents and picks up ウ. 'By contrast' in エ sets the index against the contents in ア. オ uses 'in short' to restate ア and エ together. 'This correspondence' in イ picks up 'matches' in オ, so イ comes last. Each wrong choice swaps some link in this chain: put エ before ア and 'by contrast' loses what it is being set against. Put イ before オ and 'this correspondence' has nothing to point to.

The correct order is エ→イ→オ→ア→ウ. エ introduces the topic, so it comes first. 'That travelled distance' in イ picks up 'travels some way' in エ. 'It grows because' in オ picks up 'grows sharply' in イ. 'Because it works as a square' in ア picks up 'proportional to the square' in オ. ウ is the summing-up with 'in this way' and comes last. Each wrong choice swaps some link in this chain: move ア forward and the square has not been mentioned yet. Put イ first and 'that travelled distance' has nothing to point to.

What comes before is the cause, 'there was little rain', and what comes after is the result, 'they built ponds', so the straightforward connective 'for that reason' fits. 'However' would mean the two halves clash, but they do not. With 'for example' the ponds would have to be an instance of the lack of rain, which makes no sense. 'By the way' switches to a new topic, and here the same topic continues.

If the preparation was ample the plan ought to have gone smoothly, but the second half goes against that expectation, so the adversative 'however' fits. 'Therefore' makes the first half the cause and the second the result, which is the wrong direction here. 'In short' restates and 'furthermore' adds on; both are used when the two halves point the same way.

The second half states the first half again in different words, and it ends with 'ということだ' ('that is to say'). That pairing shows the restating connective 'in short' belongs here. 'However' would mean the two halves clash, but the content is the same. 'For example' would require the second half to be a concrete instance, and 'this is because' would require the sentence to end with 'からである'.

The first half is a general statement and the second half is a concrete product, which is the relation of giving an example, so 'for example' fits. The second half also says 'is one such paper', that is, it offers an instance of the general statement. 'Accordingly' marks a result, 'and yet' marks a contrast and 'in short' marks a restatement; none of them introduces an example.

The second half ends with 'からである' ('it is because'), which shows it gives the grounds for the claim in the first half, so 'this is because' fits. The pairing with that sentence ending is what settles it. 'Even so' is adversative, 'for example' gives an instance and 'on top of that' adds on; none of them pairs with 'からである'.

The first half denies with 'is not', and the second half restates with 'it is', which is the relation of correction, so 'rather' fits. This pairing is worth learning as a set pattern. 'Therefore' links cause and result, 'this is because' gives grounds and 'for example' gives an instance; none is used for a restatement after a denial.

Two things, the paper dictionary and the electronic one, are set side by side and their qualities compared, so 'meanwhile' fits. The halves are not cause and result, so 'therefore' does not work, and the second is not a restatement of the first, so 'in short' does not either. With 'this is because' the sentence would have to end with 'からである'.

Both halves state merits pointing the same way, and the second half adds one more merit, so the additive 'on top of that' fits. 'However' would set one merit against another, which is unnatural. 'For example' would require the second half to be an instance of the first, but being easy to maintain is not an instance of being easy to carry.

Against the first half's 'anyone may use it', the second half attaches an exception with 'only in this case', so the limiting 'note however that' fits. With 'therefore' the first half would be the cause and the second the result, but needing to apply is not a result of anyone being able to use the place. 'In short' restates and 'for example' gives an instance; neither marks an exception.

The expectation is that rising accuracy means forecasts do not miss, and the second half denies it. The shape is to grant the first half and then state the opposite, so 'even so' fits. 'Therefore' points the wrong way, 'in short' would not be a restatement, and with 'for example' the second half is not an instance.

What follows A is a concrete case, the symbols for schools and hospitals, so it gives an example of the general statement before it: 'for example'. What follows B is 'the information does not get through', which overturns the preceding line that symbols are convenient, so the adversative 'however' belongs there. Putting 'however' at A is wrong because the two halves do not clash, and putting 'therefore' at B would make failing to get through a result of being convenient, which does not follow.

What follows A is 'is thrown out', which goes against the preceding line that the body's rhythm settles into place, so the adversative 'and yet' belongs there. What follows B is the advice 'better not to change it', which is what the being-thrown-out leads to, so the straightforward 'therefore' belongs there. Putting 'therefore' at A would make being thrown out a result of the rhythm settling, a contradiction. Putting 'for example' at B would make the advice an instance of being thrown out.

Before A is the merit of electronic records and after it the drawback, so the adversative 'however' belongs there. What follows B takes up that drawback and says what to do about it, so 'so what to do is' belongs there. Putting 'so what to do is' at A would make the trouble a measure taken in response to the merit, which does not follow. Putting 'in short' at B would make the countermeasure a restatement of the drawback.

The finished sentence is 私は兄が住んでいる町の名前を覚えた (watashi wa ani ga sunde iru machi no namae o oboeta, 'I learned the name of the town where my elder brother lives'). The topic marker は is not placed inside the part that describes a noun, so 私は connects to 覚えた, the predicate at the end. That makes 兄が the subject inside the describing part, attaching to the intransitive verb 住んでいる. 住んでいる describes 町, 町の describes 名前, and 名前を is the object of 覚えた. Since 住んでいる is intransitive and cannot take an object, no arrangement that puts it at the end as the predicate can work.

The finished sentence is 彼は父が勤めている会社の場所を知らなかった (kare wa chichi ga tsutomete iru kaisha no basho o shiranakatta, 'he did not know where the company his father works at is'). 彼は is the topic of the main clause and connects to the predicate 知らなかった, while 父が is the subject inside the describing part and attaches to the intransitive 勤めている. 勤めている describes 会社, 会社の describes 場所, and 場所を is the object of 知らなかった. Since 勤めている does not take an を object, it cannot be placed at the end.

The finished sentence is 私たちは祖父が育った村の地図を見つけた (watashitachi wa sofu ga sodatta mura no chizu o mitsuketa, 'we found a map of the village where our grandfather grew up'). 私たちは is the topic connecting to the predicate 見つけた, and 祖父が is the subject inside the describing part, attaching to 育った. 育った describes 村, 村の describes 地図, and 地図を is the object of 見つけた. Since 育った is intransitive and takes no object, no arrangement that puts it at the end can work.

The finished sentence is 店員は客が並んでいる列の人数を数えた (ten'in wa kyaku ga narande iru retsu no ninzū o kazoeta, 'the shop assistant counted the number of people in the queue the customers were standing in'), and the order is イ→ア→ウ→エ→オ. The fourth is therefore エ. 店員は is the topic of the main clause connecting to 数えた, and 客が is the subject of the intransitive 並んでいる. 並んでいる describes 列, 列の describes 人数, and 人数を is the object of 数えた.

The finished sentence is 先生は生徒が通っている学校の歴史を話した (sensei wa seito ga kayotte iru gakkō no rekishi o hanashita, 'the teacher talked about the history of the school the pupils attend'). 先生は is the topic of the main clause connecting to the predicate 話した, and 生徒が is the subject of the intransitive 通っている. 通っている describes 学校, 学校の describes 歴史, and 歴史を is the object of 話した. Since 通っている does not take an を object it cannot stand at the end, so the order is settled uniquely.

The finished sentence is 姉は雪が残っている山の写真を撮った (ane wa yuki ga nokotte iru yama no shashin o totta, 'my elder sister took a photograph of a mountain where snow still lies'). 姉は is the topic of the main clause connecting to 撮った, and 雪が is the subject of the intransitive 残っている. 残っている describes 山, 山の describes 写真, and 写真を is the object of 撮った. Since 残っている cannot take an object, an arrangement such as 写真を残っている does not work.

The finished sentence is 私は友人が貸してくれた傘を返した (watashi wa yūjin ga kashite kureta kasa o kaeshita, 'I returned the umbrella my friend had lent me'). 貸して and the helper verb くれた form an inseparable pair and work together as a single predicate describing 傘. くれる takes as its subject someone other than the speaker, so 私は cannot be made the subject of 貸してくれた. That fixes 友人が as the subject inside the describing part, and 傘を becomes the object of the main predicate 返した.

The finished sentence is 担当者は利用者が集まる会場の見取り図を作った (tantōsha wa riyōsha ga atsumaru kaijō no mitorizu o tsukutta, 'the person in charge made a floor plan of the venue where the users gather'), and the order is ウ→エ→ア→オ→イ. The second is therefore エ. 担当者は is the topic of the main clause connecting to 作った, and 利用者が is the subject of the intransitive 集まる. 集まる describes 会場, 会場の describes 見取り図, and 見取り図を is the object of 作った. Since 集まる takes no object it cannot stand at the end.