All HSPT Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #5 : Measurement, Storage, Location, And Material Composition
Grain is to silo as wealth is to __________.
elegance
pecuniary
affluence
bank
avarice
bank
Grain is stored in a silo, so this analogy needs a word that describes a place in which wealth is stored. Abstractly speaking, there are many options for this, for people “store” wealth in stocks, gold, paintings, and many other things. Luckily, none of the answers are tempting in this way, for the others are variously related to wealth but not as places for storage. Only the humble word “bank” fits that usage.
Example Question #4 : Storage And Containers
Complete this analogy.
Trinket is to shelf as tool is to __________.
fabrication
construction
mechanic
manufacturer
belt
belt
A "trinket" is a small item of little value. The word can describe either jewelry of this type or small items that might be set out as a humble ornament (like a small porcelain statue or something of that sort). Such trinkets can be placed on a shelf, and this makes the most sense among the possible sense of this analogy, given the potential answers. We can say that just as a trinket is placed on a shelf, so too can a tool be placed in a belt. (There are tool belts used by people working with tools.)
Example Question #3 : Measurement, Storage, Location, And Material Composition
Choose the word that best completes the comparison.
Ship is to port as car is to __________.
shipyard
highway
automobile
garage
transmission
garage
A "ship" is docked in a "port," while a "car" is parked in a "garage."
Example Question #4 : Measurement, Storage, Location, And Material Composition
Italian is to occident as Chinese is to __________.
foreign
unknown
developing
alien
orient
orient
The words “occident” and “orient” describe the West and the East respectively. The word “occident” comes from the Latin for “setting” in the sense of the sun’s evening “setting.” Since the sun sets—goes down—in the West, the West became called the “occident”—the land of the setting sun. The east, on the other hand, is the land of the rising sun. The Latin from which “orient” comes means “to rise.” The Christmas song, “We Three Kings” speaks of them as being from the “Orient.” The implication is that the kings came “from the east.” As something Italian is “western” (occidental) so is something Chinese “oriental.”
Example Question #2 : Location, Time, Or Context
Season is to year as week is to __________.
lunar
division
month
fourfold
hebdomadal
month
A season is a subdivision of the year, so the bridge sentence for this analogy could be written, “As a season is a subdivision of the year, so is the week a subdivision of X.” Although a week can be said to subdivide a year, it more closely subdivides a month. In any event, this is the only option provided, so it is the acceptable answer for this question.
Example Question #1 : Location, Time, Or Context
Monastery is to silence as metropolis is to __________.
theatre
racket
democracy
roads
politics
racket
At least in theory, monasteries are supposed to be places of silence. This analogy is very specific, but a bridge sentence could be written, “As the sound in a monastery is in a state of silence, so is it in a state of X in a metropolis.” A metropolis is the most important city in a region, hence one that is very busy and developed. Such an area would be known for its racket—loud sounds—among other things. Even if you read “silence” as a general characteristic for monasteries, none of the other options provide a general characteristic word for metropolis, so “racket” would be the only acceptable option.
Example Question #4 : Location, Time, Or Context
Choose the word that best completes each comparison.
Hungary is to Europe as Thailand is to __________.
temples
America
Earth
country
Asia
Asia
"Hungary" is a country on the continent of "Europe," just as "Thailand" is a country in "Asia."
Example Question #5 : Location, Time, Or Context
Choose the word that best completes each comparison.
Metropolitan is to city as pastoral is to __________.
suburbs
reverent
farmland
transportation
dense
farmland
"Metropolitan" is often used to describe "cities," just as "pastoral" can be used to describe "farmland."
Example Question #6 : Location, Time, Or Context
Choose the answer that best completes the comparison.
Chicago is to Illinois as Houston is to __________.
San Antonio
Dallas
urban
rockets
Texas
Texas
"Chicago" is a large city in the state of "Illinois", much like "Houston" is a city in "Texas."
Example Question #7 : Location, Time, Or Context
Choose the answer that best completes the comparison.
Solar is to sun as lunar is to __________.
freezing
moon
obscure
landing
night
moon
"Solar" pertains to the "sun," just as "lunar" pertains to the "moon."