All SSAT Middle Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Specific Terminology
Purr is to cat as roar is to __________.
eagle
lion
dog
bee
goat
lion
"Purr" describes a noise that cats make—it's even defined as "a low continuous vibratory sound, typically that made by a cat or vehicle." So, since cats purr, we need to pick out an answer choice that describes an animal that roars. Of the potential answer choices, only lions roar, so "lion" is the correct answer.
Example Question #1 : Animal Related Terminology
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Canine is to dog as feline is to __________.
Horse
Whale
Monkey
Cow
Cat
Cat
"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 #2 : Animal Related Terminology
Complete this analogy.
Lion is to pride as sheep is to __________.
shepherd
herd
flock
prey
gaggle
herd
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 : Animal Related Terminology
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Cow is to bovine as cat is to __________.
equine
domesticated
feline
feral
lupine
feline
"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 #4 : Animal Related Terminology
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Shark is to seal as predator is to __________.
Hunter
Prey
Mammal
Fish
Ocean
Prey
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 #5 : Animal Related Terminology
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Dog is to canine as horse is to __________.
bovine
jockey
ursine
feline
equine
equine
"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 #6 : Animal Related Terminology
Complete this analogy.
Fish is to gills as human is to __________.
lungs
person
heart
fins
brain
lungs
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 #7 : Animal Related Terminology
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Lupine is to wolf as ursine is to ___________.
bear
whale
cow
bovine
calf
bear
"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 #8 : Animal Related Terminology
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Feline is to cat as simian is to __________.
duck
monkey
devil
gorilla
primate
monkey
"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 #2 : Specific Terminology
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Canine is to dog as bovine is to __________.
horse
goose
cat
cow
whale
cow
“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.