HSPT Verbal : Analogies: Determining Meaning from Type of Relationship

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for HSPT Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #281 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Difficult is to herculean as small is to __________.

Possible Answers:

minute

comprehensible

remarkable

little

simple

Correct answer:

minute

Explanation:

You likely have some exposure to the mythological character, Hercules (or Heracles), who in Greek mythology performed great deeds of strength. In English, to say something is “herculean” means that it is extremely difficult—as were his great labors. Thus, “herculean” stands as an intensified form of “difficult.” Your generalized bridge sentence would be, “As herculean things are very difficult, so X things are very small.” If something is minute, it is very small. Do not confuse this with the word for the division of time. The word is related to words like “miniscule” and “miniature,” each implying some degree of “smallness.”

Example Question #282 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Neat is to immaculate as noisy is to __________.

Possible Answers:

heard

sounding

raucous

sensible

audible

Correct answer:

raucous

Explanation:

Something immaculate is very clean. Roman Catholics speak of “Immaculate Mary,” meaning thereby to attribute absolute purity from sin to Mary, the mother of Jesus. The bridge sentence for our analogy could be formulated as, “As something very neat is called immaculate, so too is something very noisy called X.” Something raucous is disturbing and loud. Often, one will speak of “raucous partying,” implying by that “loud partying.” In general, something is “raucous” if it is loud and unsettling. For this reason, it fits the analogy, meaning well enough “very noisy.”

Example Question #283 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Gory is to bloody as saturated is to __________.

Possible Answers:

wet

chained

overwhelming

clogging

fatty

Correct answer:

wet

Explanation:

Something is gory when it is covered with blood, often shed because of violence. Thus, “bloody” is either a synonym or at least a characteristic of something that is “gory.” When something is “saturated,” it is completely filled. This word is most frequently used to mean “completely filled with water,” like a sponge that is fully saturated. The word is used in scientific expressions like “saturated fats” because these compounds are completely full of a particular kind of bond—they are saturated with them.

Example Question #21 : Changes In Intensity

Spiteful is to hurt as blazing is to __________.

Possible Answers:

fireplace

brush

heat

cooking

kindling

Correct answer:

heat

Explanation:

Something spiteful is nasty, as in spiteful speech that is meant to “tear down” someone else. Such actions cause hurt and pain, generally psychological but still real. Thus, the analogy could be written, “As something spiteful causes hurt, so does something blazing cause X.” A blaze is a strong fire, which can at least be said to produce heat. While this is not the most advanced vocabulary, it is the only option that describes an effect of something blazing.

Example Question #22 : Changes In Intensity

Choose the word that best completes each comparison.

Lucky is to fortuitous as drab is to __________.

Possible Answers:

radiant

dreary

fortunate

costly

curtains

Correct answer:

dreary

Explanation:

"Lucky" and "fortuitous" mean roughly the same thing, just as "drab" is another word for "dreary."

Example Question #22 : Changes In Intensity

Choose the word that best completes each comparison.

Adroit is to skillful as illustrative is to __________.

Possible Answers:

horrid

rueful

unknown

explanatory

insane

Correct answer:

explanatory

Explanation:

"Adroit" is another word for "skillful;" similarly "illustrative" and "explanatory" mean roughly the same thing.

Example Question #24 : Changes In Intensity

Choose the answer that best completes the comparison.

Combustible is to explosive as pliable is to __________.

Possible Answers:

uncertain

rigid

stiff

flexible

playful

Correct answer:

flexible

Explanation:

"Combustible" and "explosive" mean the same thing; just as "pliable" and "flexible" are synonyms. 

Example Question #24 : Changes In Intensity

Immoral is to iniquitous as possible is to __________.

Possible Answers:

feasible

turpitude

desirable

viable

probable

Correct answer:

probable

Explanation:

Someone who is “iniquitous” is very immoral or wicked. Therefore, our bridge sentence is, “Just as something iniquitous is very immoral, so too is something X very possible.” Among the options provided, “probable” is the only word providing a sense of being “very possible.” The options “feasible” and “viable,” while they do connote that something is indeed a possible option, do not connote the sense of being “very possible.”

Example Question #301 : Analogies

Choose the answer that best completes the comparison.

Relaxed is to carefree as stressed is to __________.

Possible Answers:

burdened

forceful

unknown

layered

galvanized

Correct answer:

burdened

Explanation:

"Relaxed" and "carefree" are both synonyms, just as "stressed" and "burdened" have a similar meaning.

Example Question #23 : Changes In Intensity

Choose the best answer that completes the comparison.

Dessicated is to dry as drenched is to __________.

Possible Answers:

precipitation

swamp

desert

wet

water

Correct answer:

wet

Explanation:

"Dessicated" and "dry" are synonyms, just as "drenched" and "wet" have the same meaning.

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