Measurement, Storage, Location, and Material Composition - SSAT Middle Level: Verbal

Since a bedroom is a room in which one sleeps, we need to pick out a word that describes an action that typically takes place in a kitchen. Of the possible answer choices that are verbs - "dance," "cook," and "snooze," "cook" makes the most sense. Since just as you sleep in a bedroom, you cook in a kitchen, "cook" is the correct answer.

Since one wears glasses on one's face, we need to pick out a noun that describes where on one's body one wears a shirt. While most shirts cover one's shoulders and waist, they cover more than just those parts of the body. "Torso" is the best answer, because it most accurately represents the entire area that a shirt covers.

Since nurses work at hospitals, we need to pick out a noun that describes where artists work. While "gallery" and "studio" may both look like potentially correct answers, a "gallery" is "a room or building for the display or sale of works of art," whereas a "studio" is "a room where an artist, photographer, or sculptor works." So, "studio" is the correct answer, because just as nurses work in hospitals, artists work in studios.

One would expect to find a knight in a castle, so we need to pick out an answer choice that describes where one would expect to find a surgeon. Because one would expect to find a surgeon in a hospital, "hospital" is the correct answer.

“Ill” is an adjective that can mean “not in full health; sick,” so if one is feeling ill, one might logically go to a hospital. So, we need to pick out an answer choice that consists of an adjective and a noun that describes a place one might logically go if one were feeling how the adjective conveys. While “exercise is to gym” and “hungry is to restaurant” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “exercise” is not an adjective, but a verb, so “exercise is to gym” cannot be the correct answer. If one is feeling hungry, however, one might logically go to a restaurant, just as if one were feeling ill, one might logically go to a hospital, so “hungry is to restaurant” is the correct answer.

A bullfrog would likely live in a pond, so we need to pick out an answer choice in which the second word is an animal and the first word that animal’s likely habitat. While “ocean is to whale” and “glacier is to toucan” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “toucan” is defined as a colorful tropical bird notable for its large bill, and because it is “tropical,” it lives in rain forests and would not likely live on a glacier. Whales, however, live in the ocean, just as bullfrogs can live in ponds, so “ocean is to whale” is the correct answer.

“Timber” is a noun that can mean “wood prepared for use in building and carpentry,” but when used as an exclamation, it can also mean “used to warn that a tree is about to fall after being cut.” So, we need to pick out an answer choice that either indicates something that is made from golf balls, or a word that is used to warn someone about a golf ball. All of the answer choices are words that someone might exclaim in different contexts, but “fore” is specifically a word that when used as an exclamation means “a warning to people in the path of a golf ball.” So, because one would logically shout “fore” to warn people in the path of a golf ball just as someone would logically shout “timber” to warn people near a falling tree, “fore” is the correct answer.

"Drove" is the past tense expression of the verb "drive," so to solve this analogy, you have to find the past tense expression of the word "eat." “Ate” is the past tense expression of "eat," so "ate" is the correct answer.

A "submarine" goes under the water, so to solve this analogy you have to determine which answer choice a subway goes under. The answer, of course, is that a subway goes underground.

"Sail" is an action undertaken on the ocean, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine where it is that someone is likely to drive. So, the answer is “highway.”

Milk is produced by cows at a dairy, but "dairy" could also refer to the group of food items to which milk belongs, as milk is a "dairy product." To figure out which of these analogies is at work, we should consider the answer choices through each lens to see in which way the correct answer relates to "bread." None of the answer choices describe a category to which bread belongs (like in the "milk is to dairy product" relationship), so we need to find an answer choice that describes the location at which bread is produced. Bread is produced at a bakery, just as milk is produced at a dairy, so "bakery" is the correct answer.

The occupation of an "actor" is to perform in a "play," so to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of these answer choices describes an occuption of someone who would be likely to perform in a circus. The correct answer is “clown."

A "teacher" works inside a "classroom," similar to how a "scientist" works inside a "laboratory." A scientist may study "biology" or perform "experiments," but he does not work inside either of them. To further help you, a "lavatory" is a washroom or bathroom; a "labyrinth" is a complex maze.

The best answer is "museum is to painting," as a museum houses paintings for public viewing, much like how a library keeps books for public reading. Some of the other answer choices may be tempting, but are switched in structure, such as "money is to bank" instead of "bank is to money." "Zoo is to monkeys," may also be a tempting answer choice, but is too specific ("Zoo is to animal" would be a much better choice).

You may have heard the expression "you reap what you sow" which will have helped you solve this analogy (always use whatever tools you have at your disposal when solving analogies, they are primarily about critical thinking and reasoning). If you did not make this connection it becomes necessary to know the following: The verb "sow" means to plant seeds that will later grow and need to be harvested. This is something you do "before" the crops can grow. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is an action that might be taken after the crops have grown. The correct answer is "reap" which means to harvest, to cut and collect crops. Additionally, "erect" means set up, stand up, put together; "elongate" means make or become longer; "grouse" means carp, complain, whine; "boast" means brag about, talk loudly about things you have achieved.

The correct answer is "Houston is to city."

The first part of the analogy expresses that South America is a continent, and deals with geographical content.

Houston is a city and also falls under the category of geography.

To solve this analogy you first need to know that "emaciated" means starving, extremely skinny due to lack of food. So, if someone who is denied "food" becomes "emaciated" what does someone become who is denied "education?" The correct answer is "ignorant," which means lacking in knowledge, not understanding something.

To solve this analogy you first need to know that "anemic" means lacking color and energy. So, someone who is lacking "energy" is "anemic," what is someone who is lacking "hair" called? The correct answer is, of course, "bald."

"Metropolitan" means related to the city, urban. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these words means related to the countryside, rural. The correct answer is "agrarian."