SSAT Upper Level Verbal : Specific Terminology

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Upper Level Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #11 : Specific Terminology

Complete this analogy.

Fox is to paws as dolphin is to __________.

Possible Answers:

mammal

flippers

blowhole

marine

intelligent

Correct answer:

flippers

Explanation:

“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 __________.

Possible Answers:

bear is to ursine

water is to liquid

sleep is to pillow

miser is to money

feline is to cat

Correct answer:

bear is to ursine

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."

Example Question #13 : Specific Terminology

Lupine is to wolf as equine is to __________.

Possible Answers:

elephant 

cow 

horse 

monkey 

dog 

monkey 

Correct answer:

horse 

Explanation:

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 __________.

Possible Answers:

tiger is to roar

badger is to snout

wolf is to danger

cat is to claw

gun is to sheriff

Correct answer:

cat is to claw

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

tribe

school

memory

party

herd

Correct answer:

memory

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

Kitten

Mare

Stallion

Whelp

Cygnet

Correct answer:

Whelp

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.

Example Question #17 : Specific Terminology

Complete this analogy.

Pride is to lion as __________ is to rabbit.

Possible Answers:

warren

hive

flock

school

pack

Correct answer:

warren

Explanation:

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 __________

Possible Answers:

whelp 

calf 

bull 

mule 

sow 

Correct answer:

sow 

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

Flock

Plumage

School

Pride

Herd

Correct answer:

Flock

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

Meander

Flit

Hop

Float

Slither

Correct answer:

Flit

Explanation:

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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