SSAT Upper Level Verbal › Animal-related Terminology
Complete the analogy.
Bleat is to goat as coo is to __________.
dove
bark
snake
fly
climb
"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."
Dog is to wolf as cat is to __________.
lion
gorilla
shark
giraffe
kangaroo
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.
Complete this analogy.
__________ is to dog as calf is to elephant.
Whelp
Kitten
Mare
Stallion
Cygnet
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.
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
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.
Complete this analogy.
Aquiline is to ____________ as leonine is to lion.
eagle
lioness
jungle
cow
horse
"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.
Complete this analogy.
Cow is to swan as calf is to __________.
cygnet
leg
swoon
nestling
bull
A calf is a young cow, and a cygnet is a young swan.
Complete this analogy.
Calf is to fledgling as cow is to __________.
Bird
Dog
Lion
Horse
Monkey
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.”
Complete this analogy.
Calf is to cow as whelp is to ________________.
dog
beef
pet
chicken
cat
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.
Complete this analogy.
Aviary is to bird as apiary is to _________.
bee
whale
shark
dolphin
monkey
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.
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
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."