All SSAT Upper Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #11 : Specific Terminology
Complete this analogy.
Fox is to paws as dolphin is to __________.
mammal
flippers
blowhole
marine
intelligent
flippers
“Paw” is a noun that means “an animal’s foot having claws and pads.” So, because a fox’s paws are its feet, we need to pick out a word that describes the equivalent body part that a dolphin would have. While “flippers” and “blowhole” each refer to a part of a dolphin’s body, a “flipper” is specifically “a broad flat limb without fingers, used for swimming by various sea animals such as seals, whales, and turtles.” So, because a dolphin has flippers where a fox has paws, “flippers” is the correct answer.
Example Question #12 : Specific Terminology
Complete this analogy.
Horse is to equine as __________.
bear is to ursine
water is to liquid
sleep is to pillow
miser is to money
feline is to cat
bear is to ursine
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."
Example Question #13 : Specific Terminology
Lupine is to wolf as equine is to __________.
elephant
cow
horse
monkey
dog
monkey
horse
Lupine is an adjective which means of or relating to wolves. To complete this analogy you therefore have to figure out which animal is described by the term equine. Equine means of, relating to, or affecting horses. There are many such relationships in the English language stemming from the Latin origin of many of our contemporary words. Equine is to horse as lupine is to wolf as bovine is to cow etc.
Example Question #14 : Specific Terminology
Complete this analogy.
Bee is to stinger as __________.
tiger is to roar
badger is to snout
wolf is to danger
cat is to claw
gun is to sheriff
cat is to claw
A stinger is an anatomical part of a bee used for self-defense: it stings. Claws, in the same way, are an anatomical part of a cat used to claw in self-defense.
Example Question #15 : Specific Terminology
Complete this analogy.
Swarm is to bee as __________ is to elephant.
tribe
school
memory
party
herd
memory
A group of bees is collectively known as a "swarm." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine what a group of elephants is known as. The correct answer, amusingly, is a "memory." This is probably drawn from the old saying "an elephant never forgets."
Example Question #16 : Specific Terminology
Complete this analogy.
__________ is to dog as calf is to elephant.
Kitten
Mare
Stallion
Whelp
Cygnet
Whelp
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.
Example Question #17 : Specific Terminology
Complete this analogy.
Pride is to lion as __________ is to rabbit.
warren
hive
flock
school
pack
warren
A group of lions is called a "pride." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is a word for a group of rabbits. The correct answer is a "warren."
Example Question #18 : Specific Terminology
Complete this analogy.
Stallion is to mare as pig is to __________.
whelp
calf
bull
mule
sow
sow
A "stallion" is a male horse and a "mare" is a female horse. To solve this analogy, you simply need to determine which of these is a female pig. The correct answer is "sow." Additionally, a "mule" is an animal that is half-donkey and half-horse, and a "whelp" is a newborn puppy.
Example Question #19 : Specific Terminology
Complete this analogy.
__________ is to bird as colony is to ant.
Flock
Plumage
School
Pride
Herd
Flock
A group of ants is called a "colony" so to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these words is used to describe a group of birds. The correct answer is a "flock." Additionally, "plumage" means the feathers of a bird.
Example Question #20 : Specific Terminology
Complete this analogy.
__________ is to mosquito as trot is to horse.
Meander
Flit
Hop
Float
Slither
Flit
The verb "trot" is often used to describe the movement of a "horse." So, which of these answer choices is a verb that might be used to describe the movement of a mosquito? The correct answer is "flit" which means to dart, to move about very quickly.
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