SSAT Elementary Level Verbal : SSAT Elementary Level Verbal

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #322 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Puppy is to dog as __________.

Possible Answers:

up is to down

rich is to poor

red is to yellow

wet is to dry

child is to adult

Correct answer:

child is to adult

Explanation:

"Puppy and dog" discuss the juvenile and grown stages of a living thing, with the younger discription first and the older one second. The only choice that matches this is "child is to adult."

Example Question #323 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Cow is to calf as lion is to __________.

Possible Answers:

fledgling

duckling

puppy

kitten

cub

Correct answer:

cub

Explanation:

Baby cows are called calves, so to solve the analogy, you need to pick out an answer choice that describes what one calls a baby lion. Baby lions are called "cubs," so "cub" is the correct answer.

Example Question #322 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Sow is to pig as __________.

Possible Answers:

plough is to cow

shear is to sheep

doe is to deer

rake is to snake

hoe is to horse

Correct answer:

doe is to deer

Explanation:

Do not get confused when answering this analogy: it does not relate farm work to farm animals, as you might guess based on the answer choices. Instead, it relates a term used to refer to a specific animal with a term used to refer to a female animal of that species. A "sow" is a female pig.

Therefore, "shear is to sheep," "hoe is to horse," and "plough is to cow" are all convincing but incorrect answers. What gives this away is that they could all be correct answers if the given phrase was indeed analogous to any one of them. However, there is only one correct answer.

A "sow" is a female pig just as a "doe" is a female deer. "Doe is to deer" is the correct answer choice.

Example Question #323 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Snake is to slither as __________.

Possible Answers:

cheetah is to gazelle

bee is to hive

elk is to antlers

bat is to fly

elephant is to tusks

Correct answer:

bat is to fly

Explanation:

Snakes move by slithering, so we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is a noun conveying an animal and the second word a verb describing how that animal moves. While “bat is to fly” and “bee is to hive” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “hive” is not a verb that describes how bees move, but a noun describing where bees live. So, “bee is to hive” cannot be the correct answer. Bats, however, move around by flying, just as snakes move around by slithering, so “bat is to fly” is the correct answer.

Example Question #326 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Cat is to feline as dog is to __________

Possible Answers:

animal

equine

mammalian

canine

reptilian

Correct answer:

canine

Explanation:

The word "feline" means related to cats, so, to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of these answer choices means related to dogs. The correct answer is therefore "canine." While dogs are animals, and mammalian, other animals could be described by these words. "Feline" is specific to cats, so "canine" is the best answer because it is is specific to dogs. 

Example Question #327 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Cow is to milk as sheep is to __________.

Possible Answers:

wool

beef

ram

hay

farm

Correct answer:

wool

Explanation:

A cow produces milk, so we need to pick out an answer choice that describes what sort of product a sheep produces. While “wool” and “beef” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “beef” specifically describes the meat of a cow, not a sheep, so “beef” cannot be the correct answer. “Wool,” however, is a noun that means “ the fine soft hair forming the coat of a sheep, goat, or similar animal.” So, because sheep can produce wool just as cows can produce milk, “wool” is the correct answer.

Example Question #328 : Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy. 

Cat is to curious as dog is to __________.

Possible Answers:

harmful

volatile 

loyal

potent

kennel

Correct answer:

loyal

Explanation:

To be "curious" means to be interested in other things, to want to find something out. This is a characteristic commonly associated with a cat, so to answer this analogy you have to determine which of these is a characteristic commonly associated with a dog. The correct answer is that dogs are commonly described as being "loyal." To provide further help, a "kennel" is somewhere dogs live; "volatile" means unstable, dangerous; "potent" means strong

Example Question #329 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Cattle is to cows as swine is to __________.

Possible Answers:

wheat

fish

sheep

pigs

chickens

Correct answer:

pigs

Explanation:

"Cattle" is the collective name for "cows" and other "bovine" creatures. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these animals is described by the collective name "swine." The correct answer is "pigs." So, a "swineherd" is a farmer who keeps pigs.

Example Question #330 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Lamb is to sheep as __________ is to cow.

Possible Answers:

goat

calf

farm

cattle

beef

Correct answer:

calf

Explanation:

A "lamb" is a baby "sheep." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is the name given to a baby "cow." The correct answer is "calf." Additionally, "cattle" is the name given to a group of cows.

Example Question #21 : Specific Terminology And Homonyms

Complete this analogy.

Hare is to rabbit as __________ is to frog.

Possible Answers:

warren

pond

toad

tadpole

amphibian

Correct answer:

toad

Explanation:

"Hares" and "rabbits" are two animals that are extremely similar. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is an animal that is extremely similar to a "frog." The correct answer is "toad." Additionally, a "warren" is a rabbit's home; a "tadpole" is a baby frog; an "amphibian" is an animal that can live in water or on land, like a frog or a toad.

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