Qualities and Features

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SSAT Elementary Level Verbal › Qualities and Features

Questions 1 - 10
1

Complete this analogy.

Hot is to lava as cold is to __________.

ice

chilly

rock

tree

warm

Explanation

Since "hot" is a word that describes the temperature of lava, we need to pick out a word describing something that is cold. While "chilly" might look like a good answer, "chilly" actually means the same thing as "cold," so it can't be the correct answer, because "chilly" is not a thing which is cold. "Ice," on the other hand, is a thing which is cold, so "ice" is the correct answer.

2

Complete this analogy.

Deaf is to hear as __________ is to see.

blind

eyes

ears

touch

glasses

Explanation

If someone is "dear" it means they cannot "hear." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these words is used to describe someone who cannot "see." The correct answer is "blind."

3

Complete this analogy.

Fiction is to fake as biography is to __________.

true

long

spoken

uninteresting

depressing

Explanation

"Fiction" refers to stories that are made up, stories that are not real. So, a quality of "fiction" is to be "fake." To solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is a quality of a "biography." A "biography" tells the story of someone's life. So, a quality of a "biography" is to be "true." Additionally, "uninteresting" means boring and "depressing" means makes you sad.

4

Complete this analogy.

Dwarf is to short as fairy is to __________.

magic

tall

smart

tired

fat

Explanation

A common quality associated with a "dwarf" is that they are "short." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is a common quality associated with a "fairy." The correct answer is that "faeries" are "magic."

5

Complete this analogy.

Fragile is to vase as flammable is to __________.

kindling

ice

music

freeze

weather

Explanation

“Fragile” is an adjective that means “easily broken” when referring to an object, “vulnerable” when referring to a person. A vase could be described as fragile, so we need to pick out an answer choice that is a noun conveying something that is flammable. While “kindling” and “ice” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “ice” cannot be accurately described as flammable, so “ice” cannot be the correct answer. “Kindling,” however, is a noun that can mean “easily combustible small sticks or twigs used for starting a fire,” so because kindling is flammable just as a vase is fragile, “kindling” is the correct answer.

6

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Lion is to hunt as cow is to __________.

graze

ponder

establish

plead

urge

Explanation

A lion hunts for food so to solve this analogy you have to determine which of these answer choices is something a cow does to get food. The correct answer is "graze," which means to feed, to eat grass. To provide further help, "plead" means beg; "urge" means desperately encourage; "ponder" means think; "establish" means set-up.

7

Complete this analogy.

Employee is to inferior as __________ is to superior.

boss

better

convict

medicine

career

Explanation

To begin with it is necessary to define "inferior" and "superior." "Inferior" means worse than, in a lower position than and "superior" means better than, in a higher position than. Also, an "employee" is a worker, someone who works for someone else. If an "employee" is "inferior," which of these could be described as "superior?" The correct answer is "boss." Additionally, a "convict" is a prisoner; "medicine" is something given to cure a sick person; a "career" is a job someone does for a large period of their lives, like teaching or nursing or accounting.

8

Complete this analogy.

Camel is to hump as __________ is to scales

fish

weight

kilograms

cow

tree

Explanation

It is a feature of a "camel" to have "humps" on their back, so to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these answer choices has "scales." The correct answer is "fish." "Scales" are the outer layer of the skin of fish and reptiles.

9

Complete this analogy.

Flammable is to burn as __________.

legible is to read

audible is to see

tangible is to hear

descriptive is to detailed

smelly is to stinky

Explanation

“Flammable” is an adjective that means “easily set on fire,” so things that are flammable are able to be burned. So, we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is an adjective describing things to which one can easily do what the second word says. While “legible is to read,” “audible is to see,” and “tangible is to hear” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “audible” means “able to be heard,” so something that is audible is able to be heard, not seen, making “see” the incorrect verb and “audible is to see” an incorrect answer. Similarly, “tangible” means “perceptible by touch,” so “hear” is not the correct verb, making “tangible is to hear” another incorrect answer. “Legible,” however, is an adjective that is used of handwriting or print and means “clear enough to read,” so things that are legible can be read, just as things that are flammable can be burned, so “legible is to read” is the correct answer.

10

Complete this analogy.

Jock is to __________ as genius is to smart.

athletic

sports

school

study

old

Explanation

A "genius" is someone who is very intelligent. So, a quality of a "genius" is to be "smart." Which of these is a quality often associated with a "jock?" The correct answer is to be "athletic" or good at sports.

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