Changes in Intensity

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SSAT Elementary Level Verbal › Changes in Intensity

Questions 1 - 10
1

Complete the analogy.

Wet is to soaked as _______________.

dry is to arid

yellow is to green

ocean is to beach

car is to carwash

desert is to barren

Explanation

What is the relationship between the given words? "Wet" and "soaked" are synonyms of increasing intensity, so the answer must be two synonyms of increasing intensity. "Arid" is a more intense version of dry, so that must be the correct answer.

2

Complete this analogy.

Blue is to navy as red is to __________.

burgundy

pink

purple

scarlet

orange

Explanation

"Navy" is a darker version of the color blue, therefore the answer must be a darker version of the color red. That immediately eliminates "purple" and "orange." "Pink" is a lighter shade of red, so it is eliminated. "Scarlet" is a bright red, but it is not dark. The best choice is "burgundy," which is a dark shade of red.

3

Complete the analogy.

Wet is to drenched as __________.

upset is to angry

dry is to desert

page is to book

tornado is to wind

step is to stair

Explanation

"Drenched" is a more intense version of "wet," just as "angry" is a more intense version of "upset." A "page" is a part of a "book" and a "step" is a part of a "stair," so those can be eliminated since they don't fit the type of analogy. While a "desert" is very "dry," it is not a more intense version of the same word. If "tornado" and "wind" were reversed and read "wind is to tornado," this analogy would work. As it is written, however, it is the opposite of the first pair.

4

Complete the analogy.

Clean is to spotless as ______________.

dirty is to filthy

trashcan is to trash

mop is to floor

laundry is to washer

pen is to writing

Explanation

To complete the analogy, you must determine the relationship between the first two words. "Clean" and "spotless" are synonyms of increasing intensity, so the answer must be two synonyms of increasing intensity. "Filthy" is a more intense version of dirty, so that must be the correct answer.

5

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Cry is to sob as walk is to __________.

run

sit

pause

work

joke

Explanation

To "sob" is to cry intensely, to cry for a long time. "Sob" is therefore a more intense version of the word "cry." To solve this analogy you need to consider which one of these words represents a more intense version of "walk," and the correct answer is obviously "run."

6

Complete this analogy.

Big is to gigantic as __________.

small is to minuscule

hardy is to weak

shiny is to dull

weekend is to Saturday

progressive is to regressive

Explanation

Since "gigantic" means "of very great size or extent; huge or enormous," we can think of it as meaning "really big." So, we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is an adjective, and the second word is an adjective that is a more extreme version of the first one. While "hardy is to weak" may look like a potentially correct answer, "hardy" actually means "robust; capable of enduring difficult conditions," so "hardy" is actually an opposite of "weak," and we're looking for two words with similar meanings. Since "minuscule" means "extremely small; tiny," "small is to minuscule" is the correct answer, because just like "gigantic" is a more extreme version of "big," "minuscule" is a more extreme version of "small."

7

Complete this analogy.

Mild is to extreme as __________.

average is to large

median is to mean

rose is to red

temperature is to thermometer

horses are to pasture

Explanation

This analogy compares degrees of magnitude, with the first term being "mild," meaning low in intensity or gentle. The second term is "extreme," which can mean intense. The only answer choice that follows this pattern is "average is to large."

8

Complete this analogy.

Flurries are to blizzard as __________.

drizzle is to downpour

sprinkling is to barren

pound is to ounce

insertion is to deletion

clouds are to sun

Explanation

Both "flurries" and "blizzard" describe amounts of snow that falls, with "flurries" being another word for snowflakes, and thus a little snow, and "blizzard" being a large snowstorm, so a lot of snow. So, we need to look for an answer choice with the first word describing a small amount of something and the second word describing a larger amount of something. Thus, the best answer choice is "drizzle is to downpour," because a "drizzle" describes a small amount of rain, while a downpour describes an episode of very heavy rain.

9

Complete this analogy.

Dim is to dark as __________.

cool is to cold

black is to night

white is to light

wet is to water

calm is to serene

Explanation

"Dark" is a more extreme degree of dim. "Cold" is a more extreme degree of cool.

10

Complete this analogy.

Pink is to red as __________.

warm is to hot

reptile is to mammal

origin is to birth

meal is to dessert

hard is to soft

Explanation

This analogy compares two terms where one is the more extreme form of the other. Red is higher than pink on a "gradient of redness," although the color pink exhibits characteristics of "redness." Likewise, hot is higher than warm on a "gradient of temperature," although the concept of warmth entails characteristics of heat.

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