Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Analogies 16 - 20

16). RHETORIC : LAWYER ::

A). ineptitude : accountant
B). oratory : engineer
C). maverick : scientist
D). deduction : detective
E). solidarity : warrior

17). VAGUE : NEBULOUS ::

A). spectacular : legitimate
B). mundane : commonplace
C). magical : impressive
D). steep : shallow
E). lively : inactive

18). POTABLE: DRINK ::

A). taxable : pay

B). attainable : commute
C). reparable : fix
D). inedible : eat
E). laughable : joke

19). CAPRICIOUS : IMPULSIVE ::

A). magnanimous : generous
B). articulate : critical
C). petty : deceptive
D). diligent : precise
E). provocative : appealing

20). UTILITARIAN : QUIXOTIC ::

A). disconcerting : unsettling
B). ephemeral : fleeting
C). malevolent : kind
D). loquacious : talkative
E). obdurate : stubborn


Answers -

16). The correct answer choice is D. Rhetoric is a skill used by a lawyer. Deduction is a skill used by a detective.

17). The correct answer choice is B. Something vague is nebulous. Something mundane is commonplace.

18). The correct choice is answer C. Something that is potable is something one can drink, just as something that is reparable is something one can fix.

19). The best answer is A. The adjective "capricious" can be used to describe someone who is "impulsive." A general sentence that can be used to describe the analogy is: A "____" person is very "____." To find the answer to this question, look for an answer choice that contains two words that are synonyms. A "magnanimous" person is, by definition, "generous" (for example, with money, gifts, and so on). Although someone who is "articulate" could also be "critical," the words are not synonyms, so answer choice B is incorrect. Likewise, even though someone who is "petty" could also be "deceptive," a "petty" person is not always "deceptive," so answer choice C is incorrect. A "diligent" person is characterized by "carefulness" and "determination," but not necessarily "precision," so answer choice D is incorrect. A "provocative" person could be "appealing," but "provocative" means "tending to provoke or excite," and is not a synonym of "appealing," .

20). The best answer is C. "Utilitarian" is an adjective that is used to describe something that is "useful" and "practical." Conversely, the adjective "quixotic" means "idealistic" or "impractical." A general sentence that can be used to describe the analogy is: Something that is appropriately described as "____" cannot be "____." To answer this question, determine which of the answer choices contains two words that are antonyms. Something that is "malevolent" would never be described as "kind" because the two words are opposite in meaning; therefore, answer choice C is correct.