SSAT Middle Level Verbal : Determining Meaning from Type of Relationship

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Middle Level Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Specific Terminology

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Canine is to dog as feline is to ­­__________.

Possible Answers:

Horse 

Whale 

Cat

Cow 

Monkey 

Correct answer:

Cat

Explanation:

"Canine" is an adjective that means of or related to dogs. So to solve this analogy, you have to determine which animal the word "feline" relates to. "Feline" means of or related to cats, so the correct answer is “cat.”

Example Question #521 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Lion is to pride as sheep is to __________.

Possible Answers:

gaggle 

prey 

flock 

shepherd 

herd 

Correct answer:

herd 

Explanation:

Lions live together in "prides," so to solve this analogy you have to determine what term is given to a group of sheep. The correct answer is “herd.”

Example Question #1 : Specific Terminology

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Cow is to bovine as cat is to __________.

Possible Answers:

domesticated

equine 

lupine

feral 

feline 

Correct answer:

feline 

Explanation:

"Bovine" is an adjective that means of or related to cows, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of the answer choices is an adjective that means of or related to cats. The correct answer is “feline," because "feline" means of or related to cats. For clarification, "equine" means of or related to horses and "lupine" means of or related to wolves. "Feral" means wild and is an antonym of "domesticated," which means tame.

Example Question #2 : Specific Terminology

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Shark is to seal as predator is to __________.

Possible Answers:

Ocean 

Mammal 

Hunter 

Prey 

Fish 

Correct answer:

Prey 

Explanation:

A "predator" is an animal that hunts and kills other animals, and a shark is a classic example of a predator that eats seals. So, to solve the analogy, we need to pick out an answer choice that means an animal that gets eaten by a predator. This is the definition of the word "prey," so "prey" is the correct answer. In this relationship between the shark and the seal, the shark is the predator and the seal is the prey.

Example Question #3 : Specific Terminology

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Dog is to canine as horse is to __________.

Possible Answers:

feline 

equine 

ursine 

bovine 

jockey 

Correct answer:

equine 

Explanation:

"Canine" is an adjective that means of or pertaining to dogs, so to solve this analogy you have to determine which of the answer choices is an adjective related to horses. Equine means of or related to horses, so the correct answer is “equine.”  For clarification, "feline" means of or related to cats, "bovine" means of or related to cows, and "ursine" means of or related to bears.

Example Question #4 : Specific Terminology

Complete this analogy.

Fish is to gills as human is to __________.

Possible Answers:

lungs 

person 

brain 

heart 

fins 

Correct answer:

lungs 

Explanation:

Fish use gills to breathe, so to solve this analogy you have to determine which body part it is that humans use to breathe. The correct answer is “lungs.”

Example Question #1 : Specific Terminology

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Lupine is to wolf as ursine is to ___________.

Possible Answers:

cow 

bear 

calf 

whale 

bovine 

Correct answer:

bear 

Explanation:

"Lupine" is an adjective that means relating to wolves. You might be able to infer this because the scientific (Latin) name for the common wolf is "canis lupus." So, to solve this analogy, you have to determine which animal is describe by the adjective "ursine." The correct answer is “bear," which you might be able to infer because "ursidae" is the scientific (Latin) name for the family of animals that contains bears, and the constellation called "ursa major" means big bear.

Example Question #6 : Specific Terminology

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Feline is to cat as simian is to __________.

Possible Answers:

devil 

duck 

monkey 

primate 

gorilla 

Correct answer:

monkey 

Explanation:

"Feline" is an adjective that means related to cats, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of these answer choices is the correct animal noun described by the adjective "simian." The correct answer is “monkey.” "Simian" is to "monkey" in the same way "feline" is to "cat."

Example Question #1 : Animal Related Terminology

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Canine is to dog as bovine is to __________

Possible Answers:

cat

whale

cow 

horse 

goose 

Correct answer:

cow 

Explanation:

“Canine” means related to dogs, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine the animal with which the word "bovine" is associated. The correct answer is a “cow.” Incidentally, "bovine" can also mean cow-like or describe someone who is cow-like in the sense of moving slowly and not being very smart.

Example Question #401 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Whale is to aquatic as sloth is to __________.

Possible Answers:

grounded 

arboreal 

amphibious 

terrestrial

mountainous 

Correct answer:

arboreal 

Explanation:

When a word contains the root “aqua,” it usually refers to something having to do with water, so you can tell that “aquatic” means living in or near water. Whales live in water. So, to solve this analogy, you need to pick out an adjective that describes where sloths live. Sloths spend most of their time in trees, so you need to find a word that means something like "living in or near trees." “Arboreal” means living in or near trees, which makes sense, as "arboreal" is derived from the Latin root "arbor," which means tree. “Amphibious” describes an animal that lives both in water and on land, whereas “terrestrial” refers to animals which only live on land. To help further, “grounded” can mean stuck on land or in one place whilst “mountainous” describes land or terrain that contains mountains.

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