SSAT Middle Level Verbal : Location, Time, or Context

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Location, Time, Or Context

Knight is to castle as surgeon is to __________.

Possible Answers:

airport

forest

hospital

embassy

coffee shop

Correct answer:

hospital

Explanation:

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.

Example Question #2 : Location, Time, Or Context

Tree is to timber as golf ball is to __________.

Possible Answers:

fore

hooray

avast

ahoy

darn

Correct answer:

fore

Explanation:

“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.

Example Question #3 : Location, Time, Or Context

Complete this analogy.

Submarine is to water as subway is to __________.

Possible Answers:

sound 

dangerous 

ground 

machine 

train carriage

Correct answer:

ground 

Explanation:

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.

Example Question #4 : Location, Time, Or Context

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Sail is to ocean as drive is to __________.

Possible Answers:

Engine 

Car 

Highway 

Petroleum 

Collision 

Correct answer:

Highway 

Explanation:

"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.”

Example Question #5 : Location, Time, Or Context

Complete this analogy.

Pond is to bullfrog as __________.

Possible Answers:

ocean is to whale

glacier is to toucan

cow is to milk

mosquito is to bite

fish is to worm

Correct answer:

ocean is to whale

Explanation:

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.

Example Question #6 : Location, Time, Or Context

Complete this analogy.

Exhibit is to museum as __________.

Possible Answers:

page is to book

swim is to goldfish

post office is to letters

legible is to read

book is to cover

Correct answer:

page is to book

Explanation:

Since an exhibit is part of a museum, we need to find another pair of words in which the first word represents something that is a constituent part of the second. While "book is to cover" may look like a good answer, the words appear in the wrong order, so it can't be the right answer. (A book is not part of a cover, a cover is part of a book). "Page is to book," on the other hand, does have its words in the correct order, and since a page is a constituent part of a book, "page is to book" is the correct answer.

Example Question #7 : Location, Time, Or Context

Complete this analogy.

Glasses are to face as shirt is to __________.

Possible Answers:

toe

waist

shoulders

knees

torso

Correct answer:

torso

Explanation:

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.

Example Question #8 : Location, Time, Or Context

Complete this analogy.

Ill is to hospital as __________.

Possible Answers:

hungry is to restaurant

car is to tires

portable is to movable

destroy is to create

exercise is to gym

Correct answer:

hungry is to restaurant

Explanation:

“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.

Example Question #9 : Location, Time, Or Context

Complete this analogy.

Nurse is to hospital as artist is to __________.

Possible Answers:

hotel

tent

gallery

studio

grocery store

Correct answer:

studio

Explanation:

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.

Example Question #10 : Location, Time, Or Context

Complete this analogy.

Play is to actor as circus is to __________.

Possible Answers:

musician 

performance 

clown 

entertainment

athlete 

Correct answer:

clown 

Explanation:

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."

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