Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: Submissiveness
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This analogy question belongs to the verbal reasoning section and links physical actions with the inner states they express. The first pair Wince : Pain shows that a wince is a facial expression or body movement that reveals pain or sudden discomfort. In the second part Prostration : ? we need to decide which inner attitude is most clearly shown when someone prostrates. Questions of this type test your understanding of English vocabulary as well as your awareness of common cultural gestures and their meanings.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The pattern is outward sign to inward state. A wince is an outward sign of pain; it does not cause pain but reveals it. Prostration is a strong physical posture, where a person lies stretched out on the ground. In many cultures and traditions this posture is used as a sign of deep respect, worship, or surrender. In simple reasoning terms, prostration is most strongly associated with submission or submissiveness. Therefore the parallel relationship is Wince : Pain :: Prostration : Submissiveness.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Interpret the first pair. Wince is typically a reaction that shows pain.
Step 2: Recognise that the relationship is expression to inner feeling.
Step 3: Understand that prostration is a posture where a person lies flat on the ground, often in front of another person or sacred object.
Step 4: Recall that this posture is used as a sign of deep respect, worship, or surrender and that it communicates humility and submission.
Step 5: Compare this meaning with the options. Submissiveness fits very closely because it describes a willing attitude of yielding or surrender.
Step 6: Confirm that prostration is most clearly identified with submissiveness rather than with the other listed emotions.
Verification / Alternative check:
Consider common contexts where prostration appears. In religious ceremonies, devotees may prostrate before a deity to show surrender and total dedication. In some social traditions, prostration before a respected elder conveys humility and acceptance of their authority. These examples strongly support the idea of submissiveness. Frustration is usually expressed through gestures like sighing, angry words, or pacing, not by lying face down on the ground. Strain refers to effort or tension, and discomfiture refers to discomfort or embarrassment, which again are not typically linked with full body prostration. Thus Submissiveness remains the only option that consistently matches the posture.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Frustration: Frustration is irritation or annoyance caused by obstacles. It tends to be shown by restlessness or angry behaviour, not by prostration in front of someone or something.
Strain: Strain refers to physical or mental effort and tension. A person under strain may look tired or tense but does not normally prostrate as a sign of strain.
Discomfiture: Discomfiture is a feeling of awkwardness or embarrassment. It is usually seen in hesitant speech and nervous gestures, not in a deliberate act of lying flat on the ground.
Common Pitfalls:
One common mistake is to treat prostration only as a sign of exhaustion, as the word can also mean extreme weakness. However, in analogy questions the test setters often focus on the more culturally strong meaning of full body bowing as an act of surrender. Another pitfall is to choose a negative sounding word, such as discomfiture, simply because wince and pain are both unpleasant. The correct method is to match the relationship type: outward response to inner state. With that in mind, prostration and submissiveness form the best pair.
Final Answer:
As a wince is a sign of pain, prostration is a sign of submissiveness, so Submissiveness is the correct answer.
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