Animal-related Terminology

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SSAT Upper Level Verbal › Animal-related Terminology

Questions 1 - 10
1

Complete the analogy.

Bleat is to goat as coo is to __________.

dove

bark

snake

fly

climb

Explanation

"Bleat" is the name given to the sound made by a goat. So, to solve this analogy, you need to determine which of these animals makes a sound referred to as a "coo." Pigeons and doves coo, so the correct answer is a "dove."

2

Dog is to wolf as cat is to __________.

lion

gorilla

shark

giraffe

kangaroo

Explanation

A dog is a domesticated canine, while a wolf is a wild canine. So, because a cat is a domesticated feline, we need to pick out an answer choice that describes an animal that is a wild feline. “Lion” is the only answer choice that refers to a wild feline, so “lion” is the correct answer.

3

Complete this analogy.

__________ is to dog as calf is to elephant.

Whelp

Kitten

Mare

Stallion

Cygnet

Explanation

A baby elephant is called a "calf" so to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these answers is a name given to a baby dog, a puppy. The correct answer is "whelp" which means newly born dog. Additionally, a "mare" is a female horse and a "stallion" is a male horse; a "cygnet" is a baby swan.

4

Hound is to bay as __________.

wolf is to howl

cat is to purr

dog is to peninsula

ground is to bar

snake is to hiss

Explanation

Hound dogs bay; it is a very specific sound associated strongly with this type of dog (canine). A howl is a specific sound associated strongly with a wolf (also a canine). "Cat is to purr" and "Snake is to hiss" also make some sense, but the BEST fit is "wolf is to howl" as both animals are canines.

5

Complete this analogy.

Aquiline is to ____________ as leonine is to lion.

eagle

lioness

jungle

cow

horse

Explanation

"Leonine" means of or related to "lions," or characteristics of "lions." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which animal is described by the word "aquiline." The correct answer is "eagles." For additional help, "bovine" means related to cows and "equine" means related to horses.

6

Complete this analogy.

Cow is to swan as calf is to __________.

cygnet

leg

swoon

nestling

bull

Explanation

A calf is a young cow, and a cygnet is a young swan.

7

Complete this analogy.

Calf is to fledgling as cow is to __________.

Bird

Dog

Lion

Horse

Monkey

Explanation

A calf is a young cow, so to solve this analogy you have to determine which of these animals is an adult version of a fledgling. "Fledgling" can be used in two ways (as an adjective it means youthful or inexperienced), when used in this context, as a noun, it means young bird. So the correct answer is “bird.”

8

Complete this analogy.

Calf is to cow as whelp is to ________________.

dog

beef

pet

chicken

cat

Explanation

A "calf" is a baby "cow." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine what a "whelp" is the baby of. The correct answer is that a "whelp" is a puppy, a baby dog. The term "whelp" can also be used as a verb, in which case it means to give birth to a puppy.

9

Complete this analogy.

Aviary is to bird as apiary is to _________.

bee

whale

shark

dolphin

monkey

Explanation

An "aviary" is a place for housing birds, so to solve this analogy you have to determine which animal is typically housed in an "apiary." Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to guess this answer unless you have some very specific Latin language experience, but that is why we are here. An "apiary" is a collection of beehives where bees are raised for honey.

10

Complete this analogy.

Horse is to equine as __________.

bear is to ursine

feline is to cat

sleep is to pillow

miser is to money

water is to liquid

Explanation

Since "equine" is an adjective that specifically means "of, relating to, or resembling horses," we need to find another word where the first word is a noun and the second is an adjective that means "relating to \[that noun\]." While "feline is to cat" might look like a good answer choice initially, since "feline" is an adjective that means "of, relating to, or resembling cats," the words appear in the wrong order in the answer; we need the noun to come before the adjective, and in "feline is to cat," the adjective comes before the noun, so it can't be the right answer. Both "bear is to ursine" and "water is to liquid" appear to be good answers, so we need to pick between them. "Bear is to ursine" is the better answer because bears and horses are both animals. Also, "equine" and "ursine" are each specific words referring to a single type of animal, while "liquid" is broader since it can refer to substances other than water. So, the correct answer is "bear is to ursine."

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