In other words – Language Skills – war on terrorism analogies – Brief Article
After the September 11 terrorist attacks, President Bush gave a speech to Congress and addressed a saddened nation. In his speech President Bush said, “Al Qaeda is to terror what the mafia is to crime.” In that statement, President Bush used an analogy to make a point. President Bush isn’t the only one using analogies to explain the war on terrorism. On the television show The West Wing, a White House aide said, “Islamic extremists [like the Taliban] are to Islam what the Ku Klux Klan is to Christianity.”
Analogies are comparisons. Most analogies compare one set of words with another set of words. To solve an analogy, start by determining the relationship between the first set of words. It is often helpful to state the relationship of the first set of words in a sentence. Then find the answer, among the choices, that illustrates a relationship similar to the first set of words. In this exercise, circle the answer for the choice that best completes the analogy.
1. Kabul: Afghanistan
a. Istanbul: Turkey
b. Bombay: India
c. Albany: New York
d. Washington, D.C.: United States
2. Tony Blair: Great Britain
a. Osama bin Laden: Afghanistan
b. Colin Powell: United States
c. Rudolph Giuliani: New York City
d. George W. Bush: United States
3. World Trade Center: New York City
a. Sears Tower: Chicago
b. Gateway Arch: St. Louis
c. Golden Gate Bridge: San Francisco
d. Grand Canyon: Arizona
4. Koran: Islam
a. Star of David: Judaism
b. Bible: Christianity
c. Pope: Catholicism
d. Dalai Lama: Buddhism
5. Pakistan: Afghanistan
a. China: Japan
b. United States: Canada
c. Virginia: Maryland
d. St. Paul: Minnesota
6. aircraft carriers: Navy
a. West Point: Army
b. airplanes: Air Force
c. sailors: Coast Guard
d. Donald Rumsfeld: Department of Defense
7. Persian Gulf: Saudi Arabia
a. Niagara Falls: Canada
b. Lake Victoria: Tanzania
c. North Sea: Great Britain
d. Ural Mountains: Russia
8. mosque: Muslims
a. hospital: doctors
b. synagogue: Jews
c. court: judges
d. school: students
9. brave: firefighters
a. courageous: soldiers
b. funny: clowns
c. weak: football players
d. smart: astronauts
10. peace: war
a. time: clock
b. control: chaos
c. sun: moon
d. apples: oranges
1. D 2. D 3. A 4. B
5. B 6. B 7. C 8. B
9. A 10. B
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COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group
