SSAT Upper Level Verbal : SSAT Upper Level Verbal

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #21 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Prefixes, Suffixes, And Roots

Complete this analogy.

Anglophile is to English as Francophile is to __________.

Possible Answers:

German 

Spanish 

French 

Scottish 

Welsh 

Correct answer:

French 

Explanation:

An Anglophile is someone who loves English culture and people, so to solve this analogy you have to determine which nationality is loved by a Francophile. The prefix Franco- often means of or relating to France, so a Francophile is someone who loves French culture and people. For clarification, the suffix –phile means lover of.

Example Question #1 : Analogies: Suffixes

Complete this analogy.

Acrophobia is to heights as claustrophobia is to __________.

Possible Answers:

Being introspective 

Being successful

Being confined 

Being American 

Being ignorant 

Correct answer:

Being confined 

Explanation:

Acrophobia, as you will have learned from the inclusion of the suffix –phobia, is the fear of heights; therefore, in order to solve this analogy you have to determine what claustrophobia is the fear of. It is a commonly expressed fear or discomfort expressed in everyday life, so you likely already know that claustrophobia is the fear of being confined or tapped.

Example Question #61 : Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Cacophony is to music as war is to __________.

Possible Answers:

conflict

peace

general 

battle

soldier

Correct answer:

peace

Explanation:

The Latin root "phony" means sound, so you can infer that a "cacophony" is a type of sound. Specifically, "cacophony" means a loud, displeasing noise, so it is an antonym of "music." Therefore, the correct answer will be the opposite of "war," which is "peace."

Example Question #2 : Analogies: Suffixes

Complete this analogy.

Positive is to utopia as negative is to _________.

Possible Answers:

ephemeral 

postmodern

dystopia 

divine 

myriad 

Correct answer:

dystopia 

Explanation:

A utopia is a perfect hypothetical society, so to solve this analog you have to figure out which of these answer choices is a negative representation of a hypothetical society. The correct answer, as you might have guessed from the matching suffixes, is “dystopia.” For clarification, "myriad" means countless; "postmodern" is a school of thinking defined by deconstruction; "ephemeral" means short-lived; and "divine" means of or relating to (a) god(s) or goddess(es).

Example Question #3 : Analogies: Suffixes

Complete this analogy.

Man is to biped as dog is to __________.

Possible Answers:

tripod 

quadruped

pentode 

triped 

quadriceps

Correct answer:

quadruped

Explanation:

A biped is a two-legged animal and a human is an example of that, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of these answer choices a dog is an example of. Well, dogs have four legs, so the answer will likely contain the prefix "quad­-," which means four, and the suffix "-ped­," which means relating to feet or legs. The correct answer is therefore “quadruped.”

Example Question #4 : Analogies: Suffixes

Complete this analogy.

Insecticide is to bug as deicide is to __________.

Possible Answers:

ten

god

tree

two

decimal

Correct answer:

god

Explanation:

The suffix "-cide" means to kill. An insecticide is a product that kills insects (bugs), and a deicide is something that kills deities (gods).

Example Question #1 : Analogies: Roots From Latin

The words in these verbal analogies are based on the understanding and use of common Latin and Greek word roots.

Father is to patronymic as mother is to __________.

Possible Answers:

daughter

name

son

maiden

family

Correct answer:

maiden

Explanation:

A patronymic is a name that comes from or belongs to your father ("pater" = father and "nym" = name). A name that comes from your mother is her maiden name.

Example Question #2 : Analogies: Roots From Latin

The words in these verbal analogies are based on the understanding and use of common Latin and Greek word roots.

Endocrine is to gland as endoscope is to __________.

Possible Answers:

eyes

grand

vision

exocrine

camera

Correct answer:

camera

Explanation:

"Endo-" is a prefix meaning "within" or "inside." The endocrine system involves glands that secrete substances within the body, and an endoscope is a camera that looks within the body.

Example Question #3 : Analogies: Roots From Latin

The words in these verbal analogies are based on the understanding and use of common Latin and Greek word roots.

Malefactor is to benefactor as dysphoria is to __________.

Possible Answers:

disjunction

moody

philantrhopist

euphoria

dysfunction

Correct answer:

euphoria

Explanation:

"Mal-" and "bene-" are the Latin roots for "bad" and good;" a malefactor is one who does something bad, and a benefactor is one who does something good. Similarly, "dys-" and "eu-" are the Greek roots that mean "bad" and "good;" dysphoria is a bad mood or feeling, and euphoria is a good mood or feeling.

Example Question #4 : Analogies: Roots From Latin

The words in these verbal analogies are based on the understanding and use of common Latin and Greek word roots.

 Pentathlon is to triathlon as quintuplet is to __________.

Possible Answers:

decathlon

triplet

sextant

octopus

quaternary

Correct answer:

triplet

Explanation:

"Penta-" is a root meaning "five," and "tri-" is a root meaning three. A pentathlon is an athletic competition with five events, and a triathlon is one with three events. A quintuplet is a set of five, and a triplet is set of three.

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