Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Events
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This analogy question compares school subjects and the central things they study. The pattern given is “Mathematics : Numbers :: History : ?”. To answer correctly, we must decide what is to history as numbers are to mathematics. In other words, which option best represents what history mainly deals with, just like numbers are the core objects of study in mathematics. This type of verbal analogy appears frequently in aptitude exams to check conceptual clarity and general awareness of school level subjects.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
In mathematics, numbers are fundamental. Almost every topic in mathematics, whether arithmetic, algebra, or statistics, involves numbers in some form. For history, we have to ask what is similarly central. While wars, people, and dates all appear in historical study, the most general and accurate term is events. History is often defined as the study of past events. Wars, political changes, discoveries, revolutions, and social movements are all kinds of events. Therefore, events play the same core role in history that numbers play in mathematics.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Understand the first pair. Mathematics is mainly concerned with numbers, operations on numbers, and related structures. So the relationship is “subject : main object of study”.
Step 2: Apply this pattern to history. History is the subject. We must find the term that describes what history primarily studies.
Step 3: Examine the options one by one. Wars are a type of historical event, but history is not limited to wars. People are participants in history, but the subject does not simply list people; it records what they do. Dates are important for placing things in time, but again, history is not just dates on a timeline.
Step 4: Events is broader and more accurate. History records events such as wars, treaties, elections, cultural changes, and inventions. This matches the general definition of history as the study of past events.
Step 5: Therefore, “History : Events” completes the analogy in the same way that “Mathematics : Numbers” does.
Verification / Alternative check:
We can express both pairs in sentence form. Mathematics deals with numbers. History deals with events. This sentence pattern is natural and appears in many basic definitions. If we try to substitute another option, for example, “History deals with dates”, we see that this feels incomplete and narrow, because dates only tell us when something happened, not what happened. Similarly, “History deals with wars” excludes economic, social, and cultural developments. Hence, events is the only option that fits the same level of generality as numbers for mathematics.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
• Wars: Important in history, but they are only one category of events. History also covers revolutions, reforms, discoveries, and many other non war topics.
• People: History involves people, but recording people without their actions and experiences would not be meaningful history. The focus is on what happened.
• Dates: These simply give the time of events. They support history but are not the main content by themselves.
Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to think of the most memorable part of history classes, such as wars or dates, and choose that option. However, analogy questions require matching the role of the term, not just familiarity. Numbers are central to every part of mathematics. The parallel for history must be equally central. By keeping this in mind, test takers can correctly identify events as the best answer.
Final Answer:
The term that completes the analogy is Events.
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