SSAT Middle Level Verbal : Part and Part

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Part/Whole, Part/Part, Example/Category, And Cause/Effect

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Green is to blue as sad is to __________.

Possible Answers:

blue

frown

smile

angry

tears

Correct answer:

angry

Explanation:

The relationship between "green" and "blue" is an uncommon one: they are both types of colors. Since "sad" is an emotion, we must look for another word that is an emotion. The only choice that shares this relationship with "sad" is "angry." "Blue" is a color and unrelated in this regard. "Smile" and "frown" are facial expressions that accompany certain emotions. "Tears" can also be considered an expression of sadness, but is not an appropriate choice because "tears" are not an emotion themselves.

Example Question #1 : Part And Part

Complete this analogy.

Fog is to hail as red is to __________.

Possible Answers:

read

color

blue

stop

cherry

Correct answer:

blue

Explanation:

"Fog" and "hail" are both varieties of weather, so we're looking for a word which fits into the same category as "red." While both "blue" and "color" may look like potentially correct answers, "color" is the category into which "blue" and "red" both fit, and "blue" an example of something that fits into that category along with "red," so "blue" is the correct answer, because as fog and hail are both types of weather, red and blue are both colors.

Example Question #1 : Part/Whole, Part/Part, Example/Category, And Cause/Effect

Complete this analogy.

Gold is to silver as oxygen is to __________.

Possible Answers:

metal 

atmosphere 

gas

nitrogen 

breathe 

Correct answer:

nitrogen 

Explanation:

"Gold" and "silver" are both elements and precious metals, so to solve this analogy, you have to figure out which answer choice is grouped with "oxygen" in a similar fashion. Oxygen is an elemental gas, so the answer choice should also be a gas. The correct answer is therefore “nitrogen.” The answer cannot be "gas," "atmosphere," or "breathe," because although these words are related to oxygen, their relationship is not comparable to the relationship between "gold" and "silver."

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