Understanding Analogies: Country and National Sport

The question asks us to find the relationship between the first pair of words and apply the same relationship to the second pair. The first pair is ‘France’ and ‘Football’. We need to determine how ‘France’ is related to ‘Football’.

Identifying the Relationship: France and Football

France is a country, and Football (soccer) is a very popular sport in France. In fact, Football is often considered the de facto national sport of France, deeply embedded in its culture and national identity, despite not being officially designated by law in the same way archery is in Bhutan. The relationship seems to be: Country : Primary/Popular Sport (often considered national).

Let's verify this relationship with other examples. England is strongly associated with Cricket, and Canada with Ice Hockey. This type of analogy, relating a country to its most prominent or national sport, is common.

Applying the Relationship to Bhutan

Now we apply the same relationship to ‘Bhutan’. We need to find the sport that has the same relationship with ‘Bhutan’ as ‘Football’ has with ‘France’. This means we need to identify the national sport of Bhutan.

Let's look at the given options:

1. Badminton
2. Archery
3. Table Tennis
4. Baseball

Determining Bhutan's National Sport

We need to recall or find information about the national sport of Bhutan. Research or general knowledge tells us that Archery is the national sport of Bhutan.

Archery is deeply rooted in Bhutanese history and culture. It is a very popular sport throughout the country and holds significant cultural importance, much more formally recognized as the national sport than football in France.

Matching the Analogy

Based on the relationship Country : National Sport, we can complete the analogy:

‘France’ is related to ‘Football’ (Popular/De Facto National Sport)

In the same way,

‘Bhutan’ is related to ‘Archery’ (Official National Sport)

Let's check the options again:

• Badminton: Not the national sport of Bhutan.
• Archery: This is the national sport of Bhutan.
• Table Tennis: Not the national sport of Bhutan.
• Baseball: Not the national sport of Bhutan.

The option that fits the relationship is Archery.

Therefore, ‘Bhutan’ is related to ‘Archery’ in the same way as ‘France’ is related to ‘Football’.

Revision Table: Analogy Questions

Analogy questions test your ability to understand relationships between words or concepts and apply that same relationship to a different pair. Here’s a quick guide:

Additional Information: National Sports and Cultural Significance

National sports are designated by a country as an intrinsic part of their culture. They can be official (like Archery in Bhutan) or de facto (like Football in France or Ice Hockey in Canada, often recognized through popularity and cultural significance). These sports often reflect the history, geography, or values of the nation.

• Bhutan and Archery: Archery in Bhutan is not just a sport but a social event with specific rules, rituals, and traditional dress. Competitions are lively and accompanied by singing and dancing.
• France and Football: While Football's origins are elsewhere, it gained immense popularity in France over the 20th century. The success of the French national team ("Les Bleus") in international competitions has solidified its place as a major cultural force and a symbol of national pride.
• Other Examples:
  • Japan: Sumo Wrestling (official)
  • India: Field Hockey (de facto, though others are also popular)
  • USA: Baseball (de facto/historical), American Football (most popular)
  • New Zealand: Rugby (de facto)

Understanding these cultural connections can be helpful in solving analogy questions involving countries and their sports.