JLPT Reading: Inferring Author's Intent 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A JLPT passage quotes a politician as saying 'We must protect what has always been ours' during a debate on immigration. What is the author most likely doing by including this quote without further commentary?
- Endorsing the politician's view on immigration policy.
- Presenting the quote to let readers critically assess its implications. (Correct answer)
- Arguing that immigration debates are irrelevant to modern society.
- Proving that politicians always protect cultural heritage.
Correct answer: Presenting the quote to let readers critically assess its implications.
Presenting a quote without editorial comment in JLPT passages often signals that the author intends for readers to evaluate the statement's assumptions themselves.
Question 2: An author writes about a library that was demolished for a parking lot and states: 'Progress, they called it.' What tone does this phrase convey?
- Genuine admiration for urban development.
- Sarcasm, suggesting the author disagrees with labeling demolition as progress. (Correct answer)
- Neutral reporting of official terminology.
- Confusion about the definition of the word 'progress.'
Correct answer: Sarcasm, suggesting the author disagrees with labeling demolition as progress.
The isolated, clipped phrase 'Progress, they called it' combined with the loss of a library signals sarcasm—the author clearly does not share this characterization.
Question 3: A passage describes two siblings: one became a doctor after years of study; the other 'never opened a book but seemed to understand people better than anyone.' What is the author implying?
- Medical degrees are unnecessary for healthcare.
- Formal education is not the only path to wisdom or competence. (Correct answer)
- The second sibling was lazy and irresponsible.
- Understanding people is less valuable than technical knowledge.
Correct answer: Formal education is not the only path to wisdom or competence.
The contrast between formal study and intuitive people-skills signals the author's argument that intelligence and capability can manifest in non-academic ways.
Question 4: In a JLPT reading section, an author describes a musician who 'played to empty halls for years before the crowds came.' What is the author's likely intent?
- Concert hall management is poorly run in many cities.
- Persistent dedication to one's craft can eventually lead to recognition. (Correct answer)
- The musician should have chosen a more practical career.
- Empty halls are preferable for practicing music.
Correct answer: Persistent dedication to one's craft can eventually lead to recognition.
The sequence of 'empty halls' followed by 'crowds came' frames persistence as the bridge between obscurity and success.
Question 5: A JLPT passage about food culture states: 'We no longer eat to nourish; we eat to photograph.' What is the author critiquing?
- Photography has become too expensive for most consumers.
- Social media has shifted food consumption from sustenance to performance. (Correct answer)
- Nutritional science has made eating too complicated.
- Restaurant portions have become too large to finish.
Correct answer: Social media has shifted food consumption from sustenance to performance.
The shift from 'nourish' (function) to 'photograph' (performance) signals the author's critique of social media's transformation of food into a visual spectacle.
Question 6: An author describes a neighborhood where 'every house looks identical, built by the same plan, occupied by people living different lives.' What is the author's implied message?
- Standardized housing construction improves community safety.
- Outward uniformity conceals the rich diversity of individual human experience. (Correct answer)
- Neighbors should share more of their personal lives with one another.
- Identical houses are a sign of poor architectural planning.
Correct answer: Outward uniformity conceals the rich diversity of individual human experience.
The contrast between identical exteriors and different interior lives reflects the author's insight that surface uniformity does not capture human diversity.
Question 7: A JLPT passage about a retired teacher states: 'Her former students now teach in schools across the country. She considers this her greatest work.' What does the author imply about legacy?
- Teachers should be financially rewarded for producing other teachers.
- A person's impact is often multiplied through the people they have influenced. (Correct answer)
- Retirement is the most productive period of a teacher's career.
- Teaching is less valuable than other professional occupations.
Correct answer: A person's impact is often multiplied through the people they have influenced.
By framing the spread of her students as her 'greatest work,' the author suggests that true legacy is measured by influence that multiplies beyond oneself.
JLPT Reading: Inferring Author's Intent 4
A JLPT passage quotes a politician as saying 'We must protect what has always been ours' during a debate on immigration.
What is the author most likely doing by including this quote without further commentary?