<rant>I spent some time tonight preparing for the GRE, which I have to take in order to start my graduate coursework. (Don't worry, I'm still going to be teaching. The classes are only in the summer.) I did a little bit of practice on the verbal sections, and, as usual, when I came to the analogies section, I struggled a little. Why? Because the analogies that they sometimes draw are so abstruse that someone with a Ph.D. in English couldn't figure out the correct answer!
Consider this made-up example that mimics what I see far too often on GRE-type tests:
HAPPY : JOYFUL ::
A. LUCKY : MYTHOLOGICAL
B. SAD : MELANCHOLY
C. ANGRY : PERTURBED
D. HOPEFUL : FORWARD-LOOKING
E. CLEVELAND : OHIO
So, what's the answer? Well, if you look carefully at the options, there are at least two answers that would work, perhaps 3. (E is not correct, however...sorry.) The problem is that the relationship between happy and joyful is more complex than a simple analogy can cover. The result? Wrong answers because I don't think like the test takers!
Here's an analogy that I think should be on every GRE and SAT:
ANALOGIES : VERBAL ABILITY
A. HAPPINESS : SADNESS
B. GOOD : BAD
C. INTELLIGENT : STUPID
D. POSITIVE : NEGATIVE
E. DAY : NIGHT
</rant>
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