Determining Meaning from Type of Relationship

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SSAT Middle Level Verbal › Determining Meaning from Type of Relationship

Questions 1 - 10
1

Complete this analogy.

Dinosaur is to pterodactyl as dessert is to                     .

brownie

water

insect

damage

sweetness

Explanation

A pterodactyl is a kind of dinosaur, so we need to pick out an answer choice that consists of a kind of dessert. While both "water" and "brownie" may look like potentially correct answer choices because each can be consumed by humans, "brownie" is the correct answer, because while "water" is not a kind of a desert, "brownie" is.

2

Complete this analogy.

Emaciated is to food as                      is to education.

ignorant

school

teacher

hungry

homework

Explanation

To solve this analogy you first need to know that "emaciated" means starving, extremely skinny due to lack of food. So, if someone who is denied "food" becomes "emaciated" what does someone become who is denied "education?" The correct answer is "ignorant," which means lacking in knowledge, not understanding something.

3

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

EFFICIENT

Effective

Unreliable

Dull

Wasteful

Arduous

Explanation

"Efficient" means effective without being wasteful, so "effective" is the closest synonym.

4

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

BESEECH

Beg

Combine

Direct

Warn

Familiarize

Explanation

"Beseech" means beg or ask someone to do something, so "beg" is the correct answer. "Combine" means blend or put together. "Direct" is a verb that means order or command. "Warn" means inform someone of a potential danger. "Familiarize" means become familiar with something or gain information about a person or topic.

5

Complete this analogy.

Fraternity is to men as                      is to women.

sorority

paternity

maternity

brotherhood

university

Explanation

A "fraternity" is a brotherhood, a name for a group of men with shared interests who are part of the same organization. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is used to describe the same situation when applied to a group of "women." The correct answer is "sorority." Additionally, "paternity" means fatherhood and "maternity" means motherhood.

6

Complete this analogy.

Spider is to web as                     .

musician is to song

nest is to bird

grasshopper is to insect

wall is to house

spider is to arachnid

Explanation

The relationship between "spider" and "web" is that a spider creates a web. The best choice is "musician is to song" because musicians create songs. Considering the other choices, "nest is to bird" has the same relationship, but is in the incorrect order of product to producer,instead of producer to product as the question is worded_,_ which makes "musician is to song" a better choice. In "grasshopper is to insect" the relationship is that a grasshopper is a type of insect, in "wall is to house", a wall is a part of a house, and in "spider is to arachnid", a spider is a type of arachnid.

7

Complete this analogy.

Impartial is to                      as assertive is to meek.

biased

hospitable

voluminous

ambivalent

noisome

Explanation

"Assertive" means confident, demonstrating confidence in one's own opinions. "Meek" means lacking confidence, shy. These two words are antonyms, so to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these answers has the opposite meaning to "impartial." "Impartial" means objective, not biased, fair. The correct answer is therefore "biased," which means predisposed to preferring one thing over another, subjective. Additionally, "hospitable" means welcoming, able to be lived in; "voluminous" means large; "ambivalent" means not feeling strongly one way or another; "noisome" means possessing an unpleasant smell, smelling very badly.

8

Complete this analogy.

Knife is to                      as oblong is to shape.

implement

sorcerer

mentor

vagabond

miser

Explanation

An "oblong" is an example of a "shape," so to solve this analogy you need to determine what a "knife" is an example of. The correct answer is an "implement," which is another word for utensil. Additionally, a "miser" is someone who is not generous with money; a "sorcerer" is someone who performs magic; a "mentor" is someone with experience who provides guidance to a novice; a "vagabond" is a homeless person who wanders from place to place.

9

Synonyms: Choose the answer that most closely matches the word in capital letters.

MALICE

Spite

Benevolence

Enjoyable

Sharpness

Ignorance

Explanation

"Malice" is a desire to inflict pain, injury, or suffering on another; therefore, "spite," which means ill will or desire to harm, is the best answer choice.

10

Complete this analogy.

Leek is to onion as yam is to                     .

potato

farmer

fruit

dinner

meal

Explanation

A "leek" is an example of an "onion," so to solve this analogy you merely need to determine what a "yam" is an example of. The correct answer is "potato."

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