Fossil is associated with Extinction. In a similar cause and result analogy, a Puddle is associated with which of the following?

Introduction / Context:
This analogy question uses a relationship from natural science to test reasoning ability. The pair Fossil : Extinction suggests that fossils are remains or impressions of organisms that have become extinct. The second pair, Puddle : ?, requires us to identify a word that stands in a similar causal or indicative relation. Analogy questions of this type often involve cause and effect, evidence and event, or object and its origin. They help evaluate how well candidates see logical connections beyond direct definitions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Fossils are traces of ancient life forms preserved in rock.
• Extinction refers to the permanent disappearance of a species.
• Puddle is a small pool of liquid, typically water, on the ground.
• The options given are Wet, Rain, Lake, and Dry.
• We assume basic understanding of natural phenomena like rain and puddles.

Concept / Approach:
The relationship in the first pair is evidence and event. A fossil serves as physical evidence that certain organisms once lived and have now become extinct. Similarly, a puddle often serves as evidence that rain has recently occurred. After a rain shower, water collects in small depressions on roads and ground surfaces, forming puddles. Therefore, just as Fossil points to past Extinction, Puddle strongly suggests recent Rain. The other options either describe conditions or objects that do not match this cause and effect relationship as directly.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Understand Fossil : Extinction. Fossils indicate that an organism lived long ago and is often extinct now. Step 2: Recognise that the relationship is that of evidence to the event or process that produced it. Step 3: Consider Puddle, which is a small accumulation of water on the ground. Step 4: Recall that puddles are typically formed after a rainfall as water collects in small depressions. Step 5: Among the given options, Rain is the natural event that leads directly to the formation of puddles. Step 6: Select Rain as the correct completion of the analogy.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can verify this by thinking about scenes after rainfall. Streets and playgrounds often have puddles of water that slowly evaporate. Without recent rain or artificial water flow, puddles are unlikely to appear. Wet is a state or condition that can happen for many reasons, such as washing or spilled water, and does not uniquely indicate a specific event. Lake is a much larger permanent or semi permanent water body and is not usually created by one episode of rain. Dry is actually the opposite of wet and clearly does not match the relationship. Therefore Puddle as a sign of Rain most closely parallels Fossil as a sign of past Extinction.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Wet: Wet is a general condition and does not specifically identify the event that created the puddle. Many different actions can make a surface wet.
Lake: A lake is a relatively large and stable body of water, not a small temporary collection formed after showers. The relationship to Puddle is not analogous to Fossil and Extinction.
Dry: Dry is a state in which there is no moisture. It is almost the opposite of Puddle, so it cannot be the correct associated event or cause.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates may choose Wet because it seems directly connected to water. However, the key in analogies is to identify the type of relationship, not just topical similarity. Fossil does not simply mean something old; it specifically indicates past life and often extinction. In the same way, the puddle is a sign or consequence of rainfall rather than just a wet spot. Keeping track of cause and effect patterns helps avoid confusion and leads to the correct answer Rain.

Final Answer:
Fossil is evidence of Extinction, and in a similar way a Puddle usually indicates recent Rain.