Japanese Synonym and Homophone Questions | Word Choice in Business Writing, Set 3

仮定 means provisionally treating an uncertain proposition as given for discussion or inference; in logic, it can serve as the premise from which a conclusion is derived. Here, the independence of the two factors is placed as a premise before testing, so 仮定 is the best choice. 想定 more typically refers to envisioning and setting a concrete condition or scenario, such as a fire or a rise in demand.

適用 means applying a law or rule to a particular case. The accounting officer is applying a rule—the travel-expense policy—to an individual claim, so 適用 is the best choice. 応用 focuses on putting a learned principle or body of knowledge to use in another situation or practical task, which is not the central action here.

継続 means carrying on an action or state that was already underway. The passage explicitly connects this year's program with its continuation next year, so 継続 is the best choice. 永続 emphasizes lasting for a long time; deciding only to run the program for one more year does not establish that kind of long-term permanence.

補償 means making up for a loss involving property, health, or a similar interest. Here, money is paid to offset losses that have already occurred from the breakdown and closure, so 補償 is correct. 保証 means taking responsibility for a claim that something, such as quality, is reliable; 保障 centers on protecting a right, safety, or another condition from impairment. Neither directly names the act of making up the loss.

制作 primarily means creating an artistic work, program, or similar creative product. Because an artist is producing a video-and-sound artwork for an exhibition, 制作 is the best choice. 製作 centers on making a physical item with tools or machinery, while 作成 is commonly used for plans, documents, and written material. In fields such as film, 製作 may also be used for particular production roles, but this question specifically concerns creating the artwork itself.

回答 means answering a question or request, and it can also refer to the answer itself. Here, the company formally replies to a specific inquiry with a decision and reasons, so 回答 is the best choice. 解答 means solving a test, calculation, or other problem and giving its answer. 応答 emphasizes responding to a call or question in an exchange, whereas 回答 more clearly describes this formal answer to a written inquiry.

追究 means trying to clarify something unknown or unexplained through thought and investigation. Because the team is investigating an unknown failure mechanism, 追究 is correct. 追及 means pressing someone about responsibility or a fault, while 追求 means pursuing a goal such as profit or an ideal until it is attained. Neither matches the focus on explaining a mechanism.

慎重 means being careful and not acting lightly. The team is not avoiding a decision; it is actively conducting a pilot, taking measurements, and defining stop criteria before deciding, so 慎重 is appropriate. 消極的 emphasizes not acting on one's own initiative, which does not fit the team's concrete and proactive verification work.

是正 means correcting a bad, improper, or inconvenient condition. The measure directly corrects a specific policy violation identified by the audit and restores compliance with the required approval procedure, so 是正 is the best choice. 改善 is the broader act of making an existing condition better. The operation may improve as a result, but the immediate purpose here is to correct a known nonconformity.

In A, a director with formal authority reviews and officially accepts the budget proposal, so 承認 is appropriate. In B, the person receiving the request agrees to undertake it, so 承諾 is appropriate. Both terms involve acceptance, but they differ here between approval based on organizational authority and the requested person's consent to take on an invitation.