JLPT Reading: Inferring Author's Intent 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A JLPT passage about elderly residents states: 'They remember names of neighbors long gone, yet struggle to recall what they had for breakfast.' What does the author most likely intend to highlight?
- Elderly people have poor nutritional habits.
- Long-term emotional memories often persist more strongly than recent ones. (Correct answer)
- Memory loss is a sign of serious illness requiring treatment.
- Neighbors are more important than family in Japanese culture.
Correct answer: Long-term emotional memories often persist more strongly than recent ones.
The contrast between vivid long-term memories and faded short-term ones illustrates the author's point about the enduring power of emotionally significant memories.
Question 2: An author describes a famous painting and writes: 'Critics called it chaos; history called it a masterpiece.' What is the author implying?
- Art critics have no value in society.
- Contemporary judgment of art is often revised by later generations. (Correct answer)
- Chaos is a necessary element of great art.
- The painting was literally chaotic and difficult to view.
Correct answer: Contemporary judgment of art is often revised by later generations.
The contrast between 'critics' (contemporary) and 'history' (retrospective) signals the author's belief that true artistic value is often recognized only over time.
Question 3: In a JLPT reading section, a passage notes that a company's profits rose while employee satisfaction fell. The author asks, 'At what price does success come?' What is the author's intent?
- The company should hire more accountants.
- Financial success achieved at the expense of workers is ethically questionable. (Correct answer)
- Employee satisfaction surveys are unreliable metrics.
- Profit is the only true measure of a company's health.
Correct answer: Financial success achieved at the expense of workers is ethically questionable.
The rhetorical question 'At what price?' invites readers to consider whether profit justifies declining worker well-being, revealing the author's ethical concern.
Question 4: A passage describes a town festival that 'once drew thousands but now struggles to fill a school gymnasium.' What is the author most likely lamenting?
- School gymnasiums are too small for public events.
- The decline of community participation in traditional cultural events. (Correct answer)
- Festival organizers have poor marketing skills.
- Young people prefer outdoor events over indoor ones.
Correct answer: The decline of community participation in traditional cultural events.
The contrast between 'drew thousands' and 'struggles to fill a gymnasium' underscores the author's concern about the erosion of community cultural engagement.
Question 5: An author writes about a chef who trained for 20 years before opening a restaurant. The author notes 'every dish tells a story only patience can write.' What is the primary message?
- Chefs should write books about their experiences.
- Mastery and depth of skill require sustained long-term dedication. (Correct answer)
- 20 years of training is too long for any profession.
- Restaurants succeed based on storytelling, not food quality.
Correct answer: Mastery and depth of skill require sustained long-term dedication.
The metaphor of patience 'writing' a story emphasizes the author's view that genuine mastery is the product of sustained, long-term commitment.
Question 6: A JLPT passage describes a river that 'used to run clear but now carries the color of the factories upstream.' What is the author implying?
- Rivers naturally change color with seasons.
- Industrial activity upstream has caused environmental degradation downstream. (Correct answer)
- Factory workers should be required to live near rivers.
- Water color is an unreliable indicator of water quality.
Correct answer: Industrial activity upstream has caused environmental degradation downstream.
The causal link between 'factories upstream' and the river's changed color is the author's way of implicating industrial activity in environmental harm.
Question 7: An author ends a passage on traditional crafts with: 'The last weaver in the village has no apprentice.' What does the author most likely want readers to feel?
- Weaving is a skill that is easy to learn independently.
- A traditional art form faces extinction without the transfer of knowledge. (Correct answer)
- The village should import weavers from other regions.
- Modern looms have made traditional weaving obsolete.
Correct answer: A traditional art form faces extinction without the transfer of knowledge.
The detail that there is 'no apprentice' signals the author's concern that without succession, this traditional craft will disappear entirely.
JLPT Reading: Inferring Author's Intent 3
A JLPT passage about elderly residents states: 'They remember names of neighbors long gone, yet struggle to recall what they had for breakfast.' What does the author most likely intend to highlight?