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"Cardiologist" is to "heart" as "ecologist" is to __________.
The cardiologist is a specialist at studying the heart. The word itself as a root for “heart” in it—namely, “card-.” A “cardiac arrest” occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating. An “ecologist” is one who studies the environment, generally speaking. An ecosystem, for example, is the whole system of organisms and material environment in a given area. While each of the other options are part of the environment and animals therein, none of them is equivalent to the environment in general.
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Musician is to concert as dancer is to __________.
A musician performs a concert, so the answer must be something that a dancer performs. While you might think that “gyration” would work, this is a specific action, not a type of event (like concert). Thus, “ballet” is the best answer for this. Even though all dancers do not necessarily perform ballets, this option alone establishes a parallel with dancer in a manner similar to the relationship between musician and concert.
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Choose the answer that best completes the comparison.
Cardiovascular is to heart as pulmonary is to __________.
"Cardiovascular" is a medical term relating to the "heart," just as "pulmonary" refers to the "lungs."
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Malnutrition is to sustenance as desiccation is to __________.
When a person suffers from malnutrition, that person lacks sustenance to support his or her life. The “mal-” prefix should indicate this to you, as it expresses “poorly” or “lacking.” The word “sustenance” can be thought of as a “sustaining amount of food.” Thus, the analogy could be rewritten, “As someone suffering from malnutrition lacks sustenance, so does someone or something suffering from desiccation lack X.” Desiccation is the state of being completely dry and lacking fluid.
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Annoyance is to emotion as cannon is to __________.
Annoyance is a type of emotion. Therefore, we are looking to find a word that expresses a "type-of" relationship. Cannons are a type of implement used for warfare. Therefore, they are a type of "armament." The word "arms" often are used to describe such military equipment, as when people speak of "arming" a group for battle.
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Ice is to cold as sun is to __________.
This analogy is relatively simple, all you have to note is that “cold” describes ice. Thus, you are looking for something that describes the sun. All of the incorrect options are related to the “location” of the sun (i.e. “in” the sky) or when it is in the sky (“morning,” “daytime,” “diurnal”). None of these pertain to a description of the sun itself. Though simple, the best option is “bright.”
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Scholar is to intelligent as craftsman is to __________.
“Intelligent” is ideally a description that applies to a scholar—one who studies a given topic with great learning and depth. Thus, the analogy requires that you select an answer that describes a craftsman. A craftsman is a person like a tailor, a baker, etc, who has a skill in some particular trade. Thus, the best option among those provided is “skilled.” The others name types of craftsmen and do not give a general description that applies to the notion of craftsman. The option “technique” describes what the craftsman is said to “have.” It is not, however, a descriptive adjective applicable to craftsmen in general.
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Athlete is to fit as coward is to __________.
An athlete can be described as being “fit,” that is being “in shape.” Thus, this analogy is looking for a word that would adequately describe a coward. This is not necessarily a synonym as much as it is a descriptive adjective. Among the options provided, it might be that a coward is unreliable or perhaps, for some ethicists at least, vicious (in the sense of having a vice); however, the only option that really describes the coward as a coward is “fearful.”
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Saint is to holy as daredevil is to __________.
A saint is a person who is considered holy by some group. The word comes from the Latin “sanctus” meaning “consecrated,” “sacred,” or “holy.” The word “sanctify” means “to make holy.” Thus, the analogy is one of description, as though to say, “As a saint can properly be said to be holy, so a daredevil can be said to be X.” Now, the options “idiotic” and “insane” really import an additional judgment regarding the prudence of such daring people. They aren’t completely proper to the notion of being a daredevil (even if they do apply to some degree). “Stuntman” is a synonym, not a description. Thus, the best option is “fearless,” for a “daredevil” is so called because he or she dares to do quite fearful things.
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Complete this analogy.
Trustworthy is to credence as malicious is to __________.
The word “credence” means belief in the truth of something. If someone is "trustworthy," we are likely to give credence to his or her words or claims. Something "malicious" is evil or ill-intentioned and harmful. Such a thing or person deserves to be feared, which adequately fulfills the parallel for this analogy.
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Virgin is to chaste as criminal is to __________.
A virgin is someone who has never had sexual intercourse. If this is by choice, such a person is characteristically chaste. Thus, the analogy requires that you look for a characteristic that could be applied to a criminal. Among those mentioned, you could consider any of the options, but the only one that covers the situation most generally is “iniquitous.” A criminal has done something wrong, and an iniquity is a sin or wrongdoing; therefore, the best characteristic term among those provided is “iniquitous.” A criminal can get away with a lot and not be caught, and not all criminal actions are done in a slinking way; however, inasmuch as they are criminal, they are wrong, and hence, iniquitous. (This presumes, of course, that they are true crimes—as Thomas Aquinas said, an unjust law is no law at all. This, however, is not our concern! Take the simple case of someone who is justly called a criminal).
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Congestion is to obstructed as cascade is to __________.
Congestion is the state of being blocked. The word is often used to describe traffic that has slowed because of the number of cars in a given area. It is likewise used to describe when one’s nose / air passages are filled with fluid or mucus. To be “obstructed” means “to be blocked.” Thus, we could say, “As congestion is by its nature obstructed, so is a cascade X.” A cascade is either a small type of waterfall or any type of continuous passing on of material or information. Thus, a cascade by its nature is something flowing.
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Desperado is to reckless as puritan is to __________.
A desperado is a person who is completely desperate—hence the name—an therefore likely criminal and reckless in action. Having no hope, such a person will do anything to further his station. The option “reckless” describes a character trait of a desperado, so the analogy requires that you select a character trait for a puritan. Since the term is not being used with a capital “P,” it here means merely someone who is very strict and rigid in morality. This may often have been the case with the Puritans in early America, but they are no longer among us. Still, the term lives on. Such “puritanical” people are “abstemious,” that is, they abstain or do not indulge in many pleasures.
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Frivolity is to shallow as gravity is to __________.
Something “frivolous” is not serious, and when applied to a person, the term can mean carefree. Frivolous pleasures are really shallow, inconsequential pleasures. Thus, we could say, “Just as frivolity is shallow, so is gravity X.” Although “gravity” is often used in the sense of a physical force, it can likewise mean “weighty” in a metaphorical sense, as in “a grave, important manner.” Someone who has gravity (or as is often said in the media, “gravitas”) has a certain solemnity—or, “is solemn.”
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Intuition is to instinctive as procedural is to __________.
When someone “intuits” something, he or she understands or sees it instinctively; however, such a person cannot often provide a complete defense for what has been intuited. It is like a type of “hunch” that instinctually sees a truth or answer. Thus, the analogy could be expressed, “As an intuition is instinctive in character, so is something procedural X.” Something procedural is quite unlike something intuitive. While something intuitive “cuts through” to the heart of some matter, something procedural follows step by step to the goal—like a careful procedure. This could be called plodding—at least that is the best option for this analogy.
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Libel is to untruth as report is to __________.
When someone libels another person, he or she tells an untruth regarding that person (generally intending to ruin that other person’s reputation). The analogy could be written, “As a libel expresses an untruth, so a report expresses X.” The only answer that makes sense for “report” in this case is “data,” for this would be an object like “untruth” is with regard to libel.
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Lunacy is to insane as maturity is to __________.
A lunatic is someone crazy, and such a person’s actions could be called “lunacy.” The word means “the state of being crazy.” Surprisingly, perhaps, the word comes from the same base as does the word “lunar,” namely from the Latin for “moon.” It was believed that the personalities / attitudes of lunatics varied with the moon. Hence, they were given this name. The analogy could be rewritten, “As lunacy is generally insane behavior, so is maturity a state of X behavior.” Someone who is mature sees the world in a level-headed and generally wise manner. Such a person could be called “sensible,” that is “wise or prudent.”
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Atrium is to open as greenhouse is to __________.
An atrium is a type of entranceway that has an open ceiling, so the analogy must be referring to the ceiling when it places “open” in relation to “atrium.” The best way to write a bridge sentence would be, “As the ceiling of an atrium is open, so is the ceiling of a greenhouse X.” None of the other options pertain to the ceiling of a greenhouse. Even if the option “closed” were also among the other answers, even then would “glass” be the best answer, for it is more specific to “greenhouse” than “closed.” The atrium’s open roof / ceiling is a necessary characteristic. This analogy is not opposing closed and open as much as it is paralleling the characteristics of the two types of structure.
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Meritocracy is to ability as democracy is to __________.
A meritocracy is a form of government or organization that ranks its members based on their abilities and accomplishments. This is not always the case, for some organizations prize loyalty (or perhaps other things) more than ability. The bridge sentence for the analogy could be constructed, “As a meritocracy is based upon ability, so is a democracy based upon X.” Democracies, in their purest forms at least, base themselves upon a presumed equality among citizens. As Aristotle once said, in democracies people believe that if they are equal in at least one things—i.e. freedom—they should be equal in all. This is quite different from an oligarchy of the rich, for he said of them that they believe that if people are unequal in one thing—i.e. wealth—they should be unequal in all. This is a bit overstated, but it makes the point for this analogy!
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Flame is to simmer as encouragement is to __________.
A flame is used to cause water to simmer, that is barely boil. The analogy should be understood in this manner: “As a flame causes something to simmer, so encouragement causes someone to X.” It is fair to say that encouragement makes someone hope for a better future, even if things are bad or difficult at the present moment. It is a type of “inspiration,” and the word “encouragement” literally means “to place courage into” (en+couragement).
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