All HSPT Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #481 : Hspt Verbal Skills
Complete this analogy.
Generous is to donation as ancillary is to __________.
audacious
amenable
servile
amiable
aid
aid
A person who is generous is likely to give a donation to some cause. Thus, the analogy could be read as, “As a generous person is likely to give a donation, so something that is ancillary is likely to provide or give X.” The word “ancillary” comes from the Latin “ancilla,” meaning female servant. In English, something "ancillary" is something that provides secondary support or aid to an operation or undertaking. Thus, among the options provided, “aid” is the best.
Example Question #482 : Hspt Verbal Skills
Cupidity is to wealth as exhibitionism is to __________.
amazing
showcase
fair
sensational
attention
attention
Cupidity is an excessive desire for wealth. The word comes from the Latin for “to desire,” from which the name of “Cupid” is likewise derived. Thus, our analogy could be rewritten, “As cupidity is an excessive desire for wealth, so is exhibitionism an excessive desire for X.” An exhibit is a public display of art or any other organized set of items. Exhibitionism is the strong desire to be seen by others (as if to put oneself on exhibit). As such, it is an excessive desire for attention.
Example Question #1 : Measurement, Storage, Location, And Material Composition
Timber is to sawmill as iron is to __________.
anvil
lull
smithy
sword
ferrous
smithy
Timber is the produced by a sawmill, so the analogy requires a place where iron is produced. The only answer that functions in this manner is “smithy,” which is name for the place that a blacksmith works on metals.
Example Question #2 : Material Composition
Choose the best answer that completes the comparison.
Hydrogen is to oxygen as proton is to __________.
bacteria
electron
molecule
positive
element
electron
"Hydrogen" and "oxygen" are both elements, whereas a "proton" and an "electron" are both subatomic particles.
Example Question #486 : Hspt Verbal Skills
Answer the question by choosing the word that best completes the comparison.
Forest is to woods as field is to __________.
meadow
dreams
outdoors
baseball
nature
meadow
"Forest" and "woods" are synonyms, just as "field" and "meadow" mean the same thing.
Example Question #1 : Measurement, Storage, Location, And Material Composition
Complete this analogy.
Water is to ice as magma is to __________.
circulating
crust
subterranean
stone
molten
stone
When water cools, it becomes ice; therefore, this analogy requires that which magma becomes when it cools. Magma is the liquid stone that flows under the earth’s crust. When this cools, it becomes stone again. This is the only option that fits among those provided.
Example Question #1 : Storage And Containers
Answer the question by selecting the word that best completes the comparison.
Aquarium is to fish as terrarium is to __________.
plants
tuna
swimming
water
solar
plants
An "aquarium" is designed to contain "fish," just as a "terrarium" is designed to contain "plants."
Example Question #1 : Measurement, Storage, Location, And Material Composition
Sheathe is to sword as veil is to __________.
dress
face
marriage
laced
matrimonial
face
A sheathe is the covering into which a sword is placed. You have likely seen this in movies that depict knights and warriors. The sheathe is often on the belt of the warrior, and he will place the sword into the sheathe after having used the blade. The analogy could be read, “Just a sheathe is used to cover a sword, so is a veil used to cover a X.” A veil is the covering that is used by women to hide their faces, often for events like weddings. A veil also can be just any type of cloth used to hide something from sight; however, among the options provided, only face stands in relation to veil like sword does to sheathe.
Example Question #2 : Measurement, Storage, Location, And Material Composition
Grain is to silo as wealth is to __________.
avarice
pecuniary
affluence
elegance
bank
bank
Grain is stored in a silo, so this analogy needs a word that describes a place in which wealth is stored. Abstractly speaking, there are many options for this, for people “store” wealth in stocks, gold, paintings, and many other things. Luckily, none of the answers are tempting in this way, for the others are variously related to wealth but not as places for storage. Only the humble word “bank” fits that usage.
Example Question #2 : Storage And Containers
Complete this analogy.
Trinket is to shelf as tool is to __________.
mechanic
construction
fabrication
belt
manufacturer
belt
A "trinket" is a small item of little value. The word can describe either jewelry of this type or small items that might be set out as a humble ornament (like a small porcelain statue or something of that sort). Such trinkets can be placed on a shelf, and this makes the most sense among the possible sense of this analogy, given the potential answers. We can say that just as a trinket is placed on a shelf, so too can a tool be placed in a belt. (There are tool belts used by people working with tools.)
All HSPT Verbal Resources
