HSPT Verbal : HSPT Verbal Skills

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for HSPT Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #79 : Analogies

Select the word that best completes the comparison.

Hydrogen is to element as water is to __________.

Possible Answers:

oxygen

liquid

chemistry

molecule

frozen

Correct answer:

molecule

Explanation:

"Hydrogen" is an "element," whereas "water" is a "molecule."

Example Question #81 : Analogies

Answer the question by selecting the word that best completes the comparison.

Bovine is to cow as porcine is to __________.

Possible Answers:

farm

meal

calf

pig

porcupine

Correct answer:

pig

Explanation:

"Bovine" refers to a "cow," while "porcine" refers to a "pig."

Example Question #82 : Analogies

Answer the question by selecting the word that best completes the comparison.

Coffee is to bean as tea is to __________.

Possible Answers:

oolong

green

abrupt

steamy

leaves

Correct answer:

leaves

Explanation:

"Coffee" is produced from a "bean" whereas "tea" comes from "leaves."

Example Question #211 : Hspt Verbal Skills

Answer the question by selecting the word that best completes the analogy.

Neon is to gas as titanium is to __________.

Possible Answers:

steel

metal

argon

helium

chemistry

Correct answer:

metal

Explanation:

"Neon" is a type of elemental "gas," just as "titanium" is a type of "metal."

Example Question #212 : Hspt Verbal Skills

Answer the question by selecting the word that best completes the analogy.

Aspen is to tree as tulip is to __________.

Possible Answers:

software

daffodil

flower

garden

handsome

Correct answer:

flower

Explanation:

An "aspen" is a type of "tree," just as a "tulip" is a type of "flower."

Example Question #213 : Hspt Verbal Skills

Poppy is to flora as tabletop is to __________.

Possible Answers:

stool

surface

resting

furniture

pedastal

Correct answer:

surface

Explanation:

You have likely heard the expression “flora and fauna,” meaning something like animals and plants (in a given area). The word “flora” is a bit more obvious that “fauna” since it is related to “flower,” which clearly brings to mind plants. A “poppy” is a type of flower, thus a member of the class of “flora.” Now, a tabletop is literally (and this is important) the top of the table—that is what is indicated by the word. This is important because a tabletop itself is not a member of the general class "furniture" as it is a type of surface. A bridge sentence can help to bring this out: “Just as poppies are types of flora, so too are tabletops types of surfaces.”

Example Question #214 : Hspt Verbal Skills

Tent is to shelter as lieutenant is to __________.

Possible Answers:

army

commissioned

respected

saluted

officer

Correct answer:

officer

Explanation:

A tent is a type of shelter, so the answer to this question will need to say what type of “thing” a lieutenant is. The bridge sentence could be constructed, “As a tent is a type of shelter, so is a lieutenant a type of X.” The only option that suffices is “officer.” The option “commissioned” might be tempting, as you are likely thinking “commissioned officer"; however, by itself, “commissioned” does not suffice to name a group. It is not sufficient to say, “A lieutenant is a commissioned . . .” You need to add to this a noun to explain what kind of commissioned thing he is. Note that if you were to read the analogy as, “just as a tent is used for sheltering, so is a lieutenant used for X,” there would be no option that fits. This indicates that the analogy must be read in the first way outlined above. (The option “saluted” does not work, as a lieutenant is not used for the sake of being saluted—even though it is quite proper to salute such a person).

Example Question #87 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Stool is to furniture as hammer is to __________.

Possible Answers:

tool

sledge

pounding

handyman

nails

Correct answer:

tool

Explanation:

While very simple seeming, this analogy does link the terms, namely by a member-to-class relationship. As stools are types of furniture, so are hammers types of tools. The other options among the answers are related to hammers—what they do, who uses them, of in other ways; however, none of the other options relates to “hammer” as a general class as “furniture” does to “stool.”

Example Question #215 : Hspt Verbal Skills

Complete this analogy.

Manuscript is to text as apartment is to __________.

Possible Answers:

miniscule

loft

housing

efficient

rent

Correct answer:

housing

Explanation:

In its original usage, the word “manuscript” indicated a type of text written by hand. (The “manu-” portion is related to the word “manual,” which means related to the use of hands—think of “manual labor.” The “-script” portion is related not only to “script” but to “scribe,” “subscription,” and other such words). We now use the word to describe an unpublished version of an author’s work, e.g. the “manuscript” of a soon-to-be-published novel that is still being edited. “Manuscript” is related to “text” as a member to a class, as though to say, “as a manuscript is a type of text, so is an apartment a type of X.” While the word “loft” might seem appropriate, it is at best the opposite of what you need (if not totally unrelated). A “loft apartment” is a type of apartment—an apartment is not a type of loft! The best option, as simple as it might seem, is “housing,” for an apartment is a type of housing.

Example Question #216 : Hspt Verbal Skills

Complete this analogy.

Orangutan is to primate as pediatrician is to __________.

Possible Answers:

treatment

children

medical

doctor

patients

Correct answer:

doctor

Explanation:

Primates are the general class of monkeys, apes, humans, and so forth into which we can include orangutans. Thus, we have a case of a specific type being related to its general class. You could think of your bridge sentence as being something like, “As orangutans are types of primates, so are pediatricians types of X.” The only relevant general category offered among your options is “doctor.”

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