Click here to go to the NEW College Discussion Forum

These are from the November 1996 SAT.

FLORID:PROSE
A detailed:sketch
B melodious:music
C colorful:cliche
D tragic: play
E ornate: building
The answer is supposed to be E

RECYCLE:WASTE
A salvage: rescuer
B restate :emphasis
C recall: product
D reclaim : land
E irrigare:earth
The answer is supposed to be A

Can anyone explain why?

By Nocalguy (Nocalguy) on Wednesday, March 26, 2003 - 07:21 pm: Edit

First one, florid is used to describe prose (all of the other analogies are consistent with that). However, more specifically, florid indicates taht the prose is very "flowry" and decorated which is also what ornate means (although ornate is more gaudy and decorated).

Second one I'm not sure.

By Virgo007 (Virgo007) on Wednesday, March 26, 2003 - 07:22 pm: Edit

For the second analogy, it is not A, because I remember this one in one of the "10 REAL SAT's" Books. It is E.

By Incognito (Incognito) on Wednesday, March 26, 2003 - 07:31 pm: Edit

FLORID:PROSE
A detailed:sketch
B melodious:music
C colorful:cliche
D tragic: play
E ornate: building

FLORID PROSE are prose that are "fancy" in a sense...

A)A DETAILED SKETCH is a sketch that is "fancy" in a sense...no. (being detailed does not entail having a flowery or ornate nature)

B)MELODIOUS MUSIC is music that is highly "fancy" in a sense...no (melodious means having a pleasing sound, not always decorated or flowery or ornate)

C)A COLORFUL CLICHE is a cliché that is "fancy" in a sense...hmm. Not too sure. For this one, I really think that it depends on your definition for the word "colorful"...some may think of it as being related to that which is "flowery"...but can a cliché really be "decorated", "florid", or "fancy"?

D) A TRAGIC PLAY is one that is "fancy" in a sense...no. No explanation is needed here.

E) An ORNATE BUILDING is one that is "fancy" in a sense...well, yes. An ornate building is one that has a very fancy and flowery architectural design.

Like the other poster said, FLORID PROSE are prose that are characterized by a very *intricate* (if I should use that word) and *flowery* (also ORNATE) element. Likewise, an ORNATE building is characterized by the very same elements. This analogy reminds me of the SAT question of the day yesterday, in which the answer to OBSTENTATIOS:APPAREL:: was BOMBASTIC:LANGUAGE because the first words in each pair are very similar in terms of meaning.
*Although I have to admit that this is really not an easy analogy. What was the difficulty level?

RECYCLE:WASTE
A salvage: rescuer
B restate :emphasis
C recall: product
D reclaim : land
E irrigare:earth

To RECYCLE WASTE is to (kind of) refurbish it in a way such that it may be used again. It is the process of turning something into its previously useful state. Likewise, to RECLAIM LAND is to do pretty much the same. It is to bring land back to a more suitable condition. Basically, the analogy is that the first word is something that needs to be brought back to a previous (and better) condition, and the second word is the object/thing itself. Just think of what happens when you recycle a glass bottle or something like that. The same type of thing happense to reclaimed land. None of the other choices work as well. Plug in and see. This analogy is (IMO) easier than the first one. Does all of this make sense?...

By Lnacen (Lnacen) on Wednesday, March 26, 2003 - 07:32 pm: Edit

Sorry, I looked it up again and the aswer is D

By Lnacen (Lnacen) on Wednesday, March 26, 2003 - 08:26 pm: Edit

thanks incognito. the difficulty level for both of them were 5

By Rosarosaef (Rosarosaef) on Wednesday, March 26, 2003 - 08:50 pm: Edit

we call prose florid if decorative words and images (which often call attention to themselves) have been added to the central meaning in an attempt to beautiful the language.
plays which do this are not necessarily tragic.
cliches by definition are not colorful, they are colorless.
sketches might be beautified by details, but details by definition are small and integral and do not call attention to themselves.
we call music melodic if its predominant feature is a melody (think italian arias or even many simple songs that you can hum). being melodic might be considered by some as decorative, but most consider the nature of melody as integral and centrally part of music, not as something added (like trills or elaborate crescendos and de-crescendos, which would be decorative and florid in nature). thus this is only the second best answer.
the best answer is "ornate:building". we call buildings ornate if architectural decorations (which often call attention to themselves) have been added to the central structural facades in an attempt to beautify the whole.
____
can't help with "recycle:waste". to me, the answer is obviously D. answer A makes no sense. either i'm missing something or it was a mistake.

By Dxiw (Dxiw) on Wednesday, March 26, 2003 - 10:22 pm: Edit

recycle useless waste for good things
reclaim useless land for good things

ez..

By Lnacen (Lnacen) on Thursday, March 27, 2003 - 01:43 pm: Edit

umm, thanks dxiw, i got it already

prick...