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 #641 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Olympian is to athletic as patriot is to __________.

Possible Answers:

fecund

unctuous

brazen

gaunt

nationalistic

Correct answer:

nationalistic

Explanation:

An "olympian" is someone who competes at the Olympics. A quality generally associated with "olympians" is that they are "athletic." So, which of these is a quality generally associated with a "patriot." Well, a "patriot" is someone who loves ones own country and is devoted to ones own country. So, the best adjective to describe a "patriot" is "nationalistic." Additionally, "gaunt" means skeletal, unhealthily skinny; "fecund" means abundant, fertile; "brazen" means bold and shameless, not easily embarrassed; "unctuous" means excessively flattering, servile.

Example Question #642 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Fool is to __________ as attorney is to litigious.

Possible Answers:

asinine

garrulous

sagacious

scholarly

venerable

Correct answer:

asinine

Explanation:

An "attorney" is lawyer. A quality generally associated with "lawyers" is that they are "litigious," which means concerned with lawsuits, likely to sue. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is a quality generally associated with a "fool." The correct answer is "asinine," which means very stupid, foolish. Additionally, "scholarly" means academic, intelligent; "sagacious" means wise; "venerable" means old and deeply respected; "garrulous" means talkative.

Example Question #643 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Inedible is to poison as __________ is to food.

Possible Answers:

inhospitable

miserly

zany

nourishing

grotesque

Correct answer:

nourishing

Explanation:

A quality generally associated with "poison" is that it is "inedible," which means unable to be eaten, unable to be consumed. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is a quality generally associated with "food." The correct answer is "nourishing," which means containing important things needed to promote health and growth of a person. Additionally, "inhospitable" means not welcoming, not able to be lived in; "grotesque" means disgusting, repellenthorrible to look at; "zany" means wacky, kooky, crazy; "miserly" means not generous, particularly with money.

Example Question #644 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Hymn is to __________ as anthem is to patriotic.

Possible Answers:

elusive

robust

religious

meek

lenient

Correct answer:

religious

Explanation:

An "anthem" is a song associated with a group of people that is collectively sung. A quality of an "anthem" is that it is "patriotic." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is a quality of a "hymn." Well, a "hymn" is a song sung as part of a religious service. So, the correct answer is "religious." Additionally, "elusive" means hard to catch, hard to find; "robust" means strong and healthy; "lenient" means not strict, tolerant; "meek" means shy, not assertive, lacking confidence.

Example Question #645 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Jade is to __________ as ruby is to red.

Possible Answers:

blue

expensive

jewel

green

cheap

Correct answer:

green

Explanation:

A "ruby" is a precious gemstone that is "red" in color. "Jade" is also a precious gemstone. So, to solve this analogy you merely need to know that "jade" is "green."

Example Question #646 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Gentleman is to upstanding as orator is to ______________.

Possible Answers:

aghast

supple

voluble

infallible

pompous

Correct answer:

voluble

Explanation:

A "gentleman" is a man who is considered dignified, polite, and mild-mannered. A quality of a "gentleman" is to be "upstanding," which means respectable, law-abiding, morally-good. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is a quality of an "orator." Well, an "orator" is a talented public speaker, so the correct answer is "voluble," which means talkative, loquacious. Additionally, "aghast" means shocked, horrified, and surprised by; "supple" means bendable, flexible, agile; "pompous" means arrogant and self-obsessed, pretentious; "infallible" means incapable of being wrong.

Example Question #647 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Shantytown is to ramshackle as __________ is to frozen.

Possible Answers:

tropics

tundra

desert

prairie

mansion

Correct answer:

tundra

Explanation:

A "shantytown" is a slum, a place where people live in or near a city that is comprised of many poor and decrepit houses. So, a quality of a "shantytown" is to be "ramshackle" (in poor condition, falling down, in a state of disrepair. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these could be described as "frozen." The correct answer is "tundra," which is an area of the planet where the soil is permanently "frozen." Additionally, the "tropics" are warm-weather parts of the planet near the equator; a "prairie" is a wide, flat area of raised land.

Example Question #1 : Abilities

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Trickle is to stream as meander is to __________.

Possible Answers:

Lake 

Ocean 

Water 

Dam 

River 

Correct answer:

River 

Explanation:

When used as a noun, "trickle" means a slowly moving stream of a small amount of liquid, or when used as a verb, "trickle" can also refer to a small quantity of liquid and mean to move slowly. "Trickle" describes the movement of a stream, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine what body of water might be said to "meander." The correct answer is “river,” because "meander" means to move indirectly, following a twisting route, like a river.

Example Question #2 : Abilities

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

King is to abdicate as army is to __________.

Possible Answers:

surrender 

worship 

tactic 

skill 

lose 

Correct answer:

surrender 

Explanation:

“Abdicate” means give up a throne or position of power, so it is something a king could do. When an army does gives up power or withdraws from battle, it is said to "surrender," so "surrender" is the correct answer. As for the other answer choices, a “tactic” is an action or method used to achieve a goal, “lose” is to not win some competition or be defeated, a “skill” is an ability gained through training, and “worship” is the act of showing respect or admiration, especially to a deity in a religious context.

Example Question #648 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Tangible is to feel as __________.

Possible Answers:

audible is to see

snag is to rip

see is to visible

odorous is to smell

warn is to caution

Correct answer:

odorous is to smell

Explanation:

“Tangible” is an adjective that can mean able to be physically touched, so if something is tangible, one can feel it. That means that we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is an adjective describing a quality, and the second word is a verb that conveys how one would experience that quality. “See is to visible” cannot be the correct answer, because “visible” would need to be the first word and “see” the second word to be correct. While “audible is to see” and “odorous is to smell” might each look like a potentially correct answer, one does not see things that are audible, one hears things that are audible, so “audible is to see” cannot be correct. One smells things that are odorous, however, just as one feels things that are tangible, so “odorous is to smell” is the correct answer.

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