SSAT Upper Level Verbal : SSAT Upper Level Verbal

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Analogies: Suffixes From Latin

Complete this analogy.

Anglophile is to English as Francophile is to __________.

Possible Answers:

Welsh 

Spanish 

Scottish 

German 

French 

Correct answer:

French 

Explanation:

An Anglophile is someone who loves English culture and people, so to solve this analogy you have to determine which nationality is loved by a Francophile. The prefix Franco- often means of or relating to France, so a Francophile is someone who loves French culture and people. For clarification, the suffix –phile means lover of.

Example Question #2 : Analogies: Suffixes From Latin

Complete this analogy.

Acrophobia is to heights as claustrophobia is to __________.

Possible Answers:

Being introspective 

Being American 

Being successful

Being confined 

Being ignorant 

Correct answer:

Being confined 

Explanation:

Acrophobia, as you will have learned from the inclusion of the suffix –phobia, is the fear of heights; therefore, in order to solve this analogy you have to determine what claustrophobia is the fear of. It is a commonly expressed fear or discomfort expressed in everyday life, so you likely already know that claustrophobia is the fear of being confined or tapped.

Example Question #101 : Ssat Upper Level Verbal

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Cacophony is to music as war is to __________.

Possible Answers:

peace

soldier

general 

battle

conflict

Correct answer:

peace

Explanation:

The Latin root "phony" means sound, so you can infer that a "cacophony" is a type of sound. Specifically, "cacophony" means a loud, displeasing noise, so it is an antonym of "music." Therefore, the correct answer will be the opposite of "war," which is "peace."

Example Question #61 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Positive is to utopia as negative is to _________.

Possible Answers:

divine 

postmodern

ephemeral 

myriad 

dystopia 

Correct answer:

dystopia 

Explanation:

A utopia is a perfect hypothetical society, so to solve this analog you have to figure out which of these answer choices is a negative representation of a hypothetical society. The correct answer, as you might have guessed from the matching suffixes, is “dystopia.” For clarification, "myriad" means countless; "postmodern" is a school of thinking defined by deconstruction; "ephemeral" means short-lived; and "divine" means of or relating to (a) god(s) or goddess(es).

Example Question #102 : Ssat Upper Level Verbal

Complete this analogy.

Man is to biped as dog is to __________.

Possible Answers:

tripod 

pentode 

quadriceps

quadruped

triped 

Correct answer:

quadruped

Explanation:

A biped is a two-legged animal and a human is an example of that, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of these answer choices a dog is an example of. Well, dogs have four legs, so the answer will likely contain the prefix "quad­-," which means four, and the suffix "-ped­," which means relating to feet or legs. The correct answer is therefore “quadruped.”

Example Question #3 : Analogies: Suffixes From Latin

Complete this analogy.

Insecticide is to bug as deicide is to __________.

Possible Answers:

ten

tree

god

two

decimal

Correct answer:

god

Explanation:

The suffix "-cide" means to kill. An insecticide is a product that kills insects (bugs), and a deicide is something that kills deities (gods).

Example Question #1 : Analogies: Roots From Latin

The words in these verbal analogies are based on the understanding and use of common Latin and Greek word roots.

Father is to patronymic as mother is to __________.

Possible Answers:

family

daughter

son

name

maiden

Correct answer:

maiden

Explanation:

A patronymic is a name that comes from or belongs to your father ("pater" = father and "nym" = name). A name that comes from your mother is her maiden name.

Example Question #2 : Analogies: Roots From Latin

The words in these verbal analogies are based on the understanding and use of common Latin and Greek word roots.

Endocrine is to gland as endoscope is to __________.

Possible Answers:

exocrine

grand

eyes

vision

camera

Correct answer:

camera

Explanation:

"Endo-" is a prefix meaning "within" or "inside." The endocrine system involves glands that secrete substances within the body, and an endoscope is a camera that looks within the body.

Example Question #1 : Analogies: Roots From Latin

The words in these verbal analogies are based on the understanding and use of common Latin and Greek word roots.

Malefactor is to benefactor as dysphoria is to __________.

Possible Answers:

moody

dysfunction

disjunction

philantrhopist

euphoria

Correct answer:

euphoria

Explanation:

"Mal-" and "bene-" are the Latin roots for "bad" and good;" a malefactor is one who does something bad, and a benefactor is one who does something good. Similarly, "dys-" and "eu-" are the Greek roots that mean "bad" and "good;" dysphoria is a bad mood or feeling, and euphoria is a good mood or feeling.

Example Question #4 : Analogies: Roots From Latin

The words in these verbal analogies are based on the understanding and use of common Latin and Greek word roots.

 Pentathlon is to triathlon as quintuplet is to __________.

Possible Answers:

octopus

sextant

triplet

quaternary

decathlon

Correct answer:

triplet

Explanation:

"Penta-" is a root meaning "five," and "tri-" is a root meaning three. A pentathlon is an athletic competition with five events, and a triathlon is one with three events. A quintuplet is a set of five, and a triplet is set of three.

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