SSAT Upper Level Verbal : Analogies: Roots from Greek
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Example Questions
Example Question #43 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Prefixes, Suffixes, And Roots
Complete this analogy.
Pyromania is to fire as kleptomania is to __________.
snow
knowledge
abuse
theft
pain
theft
The Greek root "pyr-" or "pyro-" refers to fire; you may have seen it before in such words as "pyrotechnics" (fireworks) or "pyre" (the mound of flammable matter on which a corpse is burned in a formal ceremony). The root "-mania" means madness. Putting these two roots together, we get "pyro-mania," or a term that in general means fire madness. "Pyromania" is an excessive and sometimes uncontrollable desire to start fires. Our second term also contains the root "-mania," so it is "madness" that has to do with whatever "klepto-" indicates. The root "klepto-" comes from the Greek for thief and means having to do with theft. Thus, "kleptomania" is an excessive and sometimes uncontrollable desire to commit theft. A "kleptomaniac" cannot help but steal things. "Theft" is thus the correct answer.
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