All SSAT Middle Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Qualities, Features, Abilities, And Other Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Cigarette is to detrimental as apple is to _________.
helpful
injurious
deleterious
harmful
hurtful
helpful
A quality associated with cigarettes is that they are “detrimental” to your health. "Detrimental" means not helpful, causing negative consequences. To solve this analogy you have to determine what impact an apple would likely have on someone’s health. The correct answer is that an apple is “helpful.” For clarification, the other four answer choices are synonyms of one another and of detrimental.
Example Question #2 : Qualities, Features, Abilities, And Other Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Funeral is to somber as wedding is to __________.
jubilant
despondent
impertinent
gloomy
depressing
jubilant
A "funeral" is a somber occasion, so to solve this analogy you have to determine which of these answer choices best captures the occasion of a wedding. A "wedding" is generally a jubilant time, so the correct answer is “jubilant,” which means celebratory and happy. For clarification, "despondent," "depressing," and "gloomy" are all synonyms of one another; "impertinent" means rude and impudent.
Example Question #3 : Qualities, Features, Abilities, And Other Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Glutton is to greedy as philanthropist is to __________.
penurious
charitable
selfish
miserly
parsimonious
charitable
A characteristic of a glutton is to be greedy, so to solve this analogy you have to determine which of these answer choices is a characteristic commonly associated with a philanthropist. A "philanthropist" is someone who gives to charity, so the correct answer is “charitable.” For clarification, "penurious" means destitute, or very poor; "selfish," "miserly," and "parsimonious" are all synonyms that mean not generous, particularly with money.
Example Question #4 : Qualities, Features, Abilities, And Other Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Stubborn is to mule as sly is to __________.
shark
lizard
fox
dog
elephant
fox
A common saying in English is “as stubborn as a mule.” As such obstinacy has come to be associated with mules. Another common saying is “as sly as a fox.” To solve this analogy you had to determine which animal is generally associated with slyness. The correct answer is “fox.”
Example Question #711 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Orator is to eloquent as priest is to __________.
Forlorn
Pious
Miserable
Remorseful
Despondent
Pious
An orator is a public speaker and someone who is eloquent is adept at speaking. A characteristic associated with an orator is eloquence, so to solve this analogy you have to determine which of the answer choices is a characteristic associated with priests. Priests are generally pious, as pious means deeply religious. For clarification, remorseful means full of guilt and regret; forlorn, despondent and miserable are all loosely synonyms that mean to be sad and without hope.
Example Question #6 : Qualities, Features, Abilities, And Other Analogies
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Strong is to ox as quiet is to __________.
Woodpecker
Mouse
Parrot
Lion
Seagull
Mouse
“As strong as an ox” is a famous English expression. However, even if you have never heard of this expression, you can still solve the analogy by realizing that "strong" is an adjective that someone might use to describe an ox. So, to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of the answer choices' words is an animal that is quiet. A "mouse" is a quiet animal, so "mouse" is the correct answer.
Example Question #712 : Analogies
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Skyscraper is to tall as elephant is to ___________.
tusk
Africa
large
ivory
small
large
The relationship between "skyscraper" and "tall" is that "tall" is a common characteristic of skyscrapers. The best choice is "large," as an elephant's size is a characteristic that is commonly associated with these animals. "Small" does not apply, as elephants are not typically thought of as small creatures. A "tusk" is a part of an elephant and "ivory" is the name of the material that the tusk is made out of. "Africa" is where many elephants live. The most appropriate chioce is "large."
Example Question #2 : Qualities, Features, Abilities, And Other Analogies
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Analog is to digital as pocket-watch is to __________.
time
knife
climate
computer
computer
Something that is “analog” is of or relating to a device or process in which data is represented by physical quantities that change continuously. Something which is “digital” is of, relating to, or being data in the form of especially binary digits. So a “pocket-watch” can be seen as “analog,” whereas a computer is “digital.” The key to this question is your understanding of the word “digital” and that you relate it to “computers.” To clarify, a “climate” is the weather of an area of the world, so India has a hot and tropical “climate,” while New Jersey has a mild and temperate “climate.”
Example Question #11 : Qualities, Features, Abilities, And Other Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Tapestry is to woven as __________.
sharpen is to pencil
sculpture is to carved
bow is to violin
ice is to freeze
hearth is to fireplace
sculpture is to carved
Since "woven" describes how a tapestry is constructed, we need to pick out another pair of words in which the second word describes how the first word is constructed. Both "sculpture is to carved" and "ice is to freeze" appear to be potentially correct answers, but "sculpture is to carved" is the better answer. This is because tapestries and sculptures share the feature of both being traditional types of art, a feature ice does not share, and "woven" and "carved" are both past participles whereas "freeze" is an infinitive. (The answer choices might be more comparable if instead of "ice is to freeze" we had "ice is to frozen").
Example Question #12 : Qualities, Features, Abilities, And Other Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Leaves are to floral as __________.
scales are to ursine
fur is to mammalian
aquatic is to fish
wooden is to table
fur is to bear
fur is to mammalian
Leaves form a constituent part of many floral things, so we need to find another pair of words in which the first word is a constituent part of many things in the category the second word represents. While "aquatic is to fish" may seem like the correct answer, but since "aquatic" is an adjective that describes many fish, it does not represent a constituent part of fish, so it can't be correct. Also, while "scales are to ursine" appears to be in the correct answer format, "ursine" means having to do with bears or bear-like, and since bears do not have scales, "scales are to ursine" can't be the correct answer either. In "fur is to mammalian," however, fur is a constituent part of (many) animals which are mammalian, just as leaves are a constituent part of many plants which are floral. So, the correct answer is "fur is to mammalian."
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