TOPIK Practice – TOPIK I 어휘 [Vocabulary] 1–5 (5/20/2026) – cardinals standings

정답: A. 순위

How to solve: The sentence states 'our team's current ____ is 2nd place'. '순위' means rank or standing, which fits perfectly in this context to describe the team's position in a competition. The other options are irrelevant.

A — '순위' (sun-wi) means 'rank' or 'standing'. It is the correct word to describe a team's position in a league table.

B — '날씨' (nal-ssi) means 'weather', which is irrelevant to team standings.

C — '시간' (si-gan) means 'time', which is irrelevant to team standings.

D — '장소' (jang-so) means 'place' (physical location), which is not appropriate for describing a team's ranking.

정답: A. 승리

How to solve: The sentence says 'The Cardinals achieved a dramatic _______ in yesterday's game.' '승리' (victory) is the appropriate word for achieving a positive outcome in a game. The other options do not fit the context of 'achieving' something positive in a game.

A — '승리' (seung-ni) means 'victory' or 'win'. This word correctly describes the positive outcome of a game, especially when paired with '거두다' (to achieve).

B — '패배' (pae-bae) means 'defeat' or 'loss'. While an outcome of a game, it doesn't fit with '극적인 거두었다' (achieved dramatically) which implies a positive result.

C — '실수' (sil-su) means 'mistake'. This is not an outcome of a game.

D — '준비' (jun-bi) means 'preparation'. This is not an outcome of a game.

정답: C. 선두

How to solve: The sentence states 'The Cardinals team is running in the league _______.' '선두' (leader, top spot) refers to being in the first position, which is a common phrase in sports standings. Given '달리고 있다' (running), it implies they are performing well and are at the top.

A — '중간' (jung-gan) means 'middle'. While a position, it doesn't convey being at the top.

B — '꼴찌' (kkol-jji) means 'last place'. This is the opposite of a desirable position in a league.

C — '선두' (seon-du) means 'leader' or 'top spot'. This is the correct term to describe a team that is in first place or leading the league.

D — '마지막' (ma-ji-mak) means 'last'. Similar to '꼴찌', it refers to the end or bottom, not the top.

정답: A. 유지하기

How to solve: The sentence states 'The Cardinals are working hard to _______ their 1st place position.' To maintain a 1st place position, the appropriate verb is '유지하다' (to maintain). The other options imply discarding, finding, or creating, which don't fit the context of holding onto a current rank.

A — '유지하기' (yu-ji-ha-gi) means 'to maintain' or 'to keep'. This is the correct action for a team trying to stay in 1st place.

B — '버리기' (beo-ri-gi) means 'to discard' or 'to throw away'. This is the opposite of what a team would do with a 1st place position.

C — '찾기' (chat-gi) means 'to find' or 'to search for'. This would be suitable if they lost the position, but the sentence implies they currently hold it.

D — '만들기' (man-deul-gi) means 'to make' or 'to create'. This doesn't fit the context of an existing 1st place position.

정답: C. 차이

How to solve: The sentence states 'The _______ with the 2nd place team is now only 1 game.' This describes the gap or difference in games between two teams in standings. '차이' (difference, gap) is the most suitable word in this context.

A — '시간' (si-gan) means 'time'. It is not typically used to describe the game difference between teams.

B — '거리' (geo-ri) means 'distance'. While it can metaphorically refer to a gap, '차이' is more specifically used for differences in scores or standings in games.

C — '차이' (cha-i) means 'difference' or 'gap'. This is the correct word to express how many games separate one team from another in the standings.

D — '순서' (sun-seo) means 'order' or 'sequence'. It refers to the arrangement, not the gap between positions.