Colours
Tests: 5 of 11 right · Exam: 2 of 4 right · Kind: plain · Understood: 9 of 15 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72
Lesson 8 of the chinese street course of Mova's primary school, as Mova's small model took its tests: it had read this lesson and the ones before it and learned from their exercises. Each test shows the options in the order the student saw them, its choice, the right answer, the score of every option and why it chose. The lesson itself, sentence by sentence with trees and pragmatics: the lesson in the corpora.
Every question of this lesson and each of its options parsed by Mova, with trees and pragmatics: the lesson's questions in the corpora.
Test 1 · right ✓
«get ming's dad a green hat for his birthday, he likes green» What is wrong?
- 1. Hats mean goodbye — no support
- 2. Green is unlucky on Mondays and birthdays — no support
- 3. Nothing, green hats bring a whole year of good luck — no support
- 4. A green hat is a joke about being made a fool of — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 10
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 10, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 8, line 3: «Watch the sounds: lǜ (green) needs the new ü — say «ee» with lips rounded for «oo» — or it turns into lù (road). And never give a man a green hat: it is a famo…», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «hat» (+4); the same thing acted on «famous joke» (+4); the same light verb (be, have, do, get, go) (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 2 · wrong ✗
You bring white flowers to Ming's birthday. What might his granny think?
- 1. White is the luckiest colour — no support
- 2. White means «I love you» — ← Mova's choice · score 1
- 3. White is for funerals, not parties — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. White flowers are only for teachers — no support
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 2 with score 1, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 1, line 16: «chī le ma? («CHR luh mah», the ch with the tongue curled back) means «have you eaten?»; grandparents and neighbours use it as a greeting, and the polite answer…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+2); the same thing acted on «ma» (+1). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-1); a different doer (counts against) (-1). The right option, 3, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 3 · wrong ✗
«I'm doing my name in red pen, looks sick» Why might Ming's mum stop you?
- 1. It is too bright and hurts the eyes — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Red pen smudges — no support
- 3. Red pen is only for teachers to mark with — no support
- 4. Names in red ink were once for the dead — ✓ the right answer · no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 4 · wrong ✗
«lùsè, the road colour lol» What did you mean to say?
- 1. huīsè, grey, like a rainy day — ← Mova's choice · score 4
- 2. lǜsè, green, with the rounded ü — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. lánsè, blue, like the sky above — score 4
- 4. hēisè, black — score 4
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 4, tied with another option at 4 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 1, line 16: «chī le ma? («CHR luh mah», the ch with the tongue curled back) means «have you eaten?»; grandparents and neighbours use it as a greeting, and the polite answer…», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «mean» (+2); the same doer «chī le ma» (+2). The right option, 2, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 5 · right ✓
«ugh his little bro wants pink, boys can't like pink» What is right?
- 1. That's old thinking, not a rule — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. Yes, it is a Chinese law — no support
- 3. No, pink is unlucky for everyone — no support
- 4. Yes, pink is for grannies — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 6 · wrong ✗
You ask for a chéngsè to eat. Why does Ming laugh?
- 1. chéngsè is a rude word in the playground — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. chéngsè is a bitter green vegetable — no support
- 3. chéngsè means a cup of coffee — no support
- 4. chéngsè is the colour; the fruit is chéngzi — ✓ the right answer · no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 7 · wrong ✗
Ming jumps out shouting «hēi!». What does he mean?
- 1. It's dark! — ← Mova's choice · score 3
- 2. A cheeky «hey!» — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. Goodbye! — no support
- 4. Black! — no support
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 3, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 8, line 10: «hēisè («HAY-suh») is black; hēi also means dark (tiān hēi le = it's got dark), and «hēi!» alone is a cheeky «hey!».», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «hēi» (+2); the same property (+1). The right option, 2, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 8 · right ✓
What would happen if you said zì instead of zǐ for purple?
- 1. Nothing, they are the very same word — no support
- 2. You'd say «character, letter» instead — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 2
- 3. It would mean yellow — no support
- 4. It would mean pink, a lighter kind of purple — no support
Why: It took the question to ask what happens next. It chose option 2 with score 2, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 6, line 4: «Two tricky bits: for «two of something» you say liǎng, not èr; and on the phone people read 1 as yāo so it can't be confused with qī (7).», reached through what followed the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «read» (+4). Against it: a different thing acted on (counts against) (-2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 9 · right ✓
In a cartoon an emperor's robe is painted green. What would real old stories say?
- 1. It should be yellow, the emperor's colour — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. Any colour was fine for an emperor — no support
- 3. It should be white, the colour of good luck — no support
- 4. It should be pink — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 10 · right ✓
«my dog's kāfēisè» What colour is the dog?
- 1. Brown — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 6
- 2. Orange — no support
- 3. Black — no support
- 4. Grey — no support
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 6, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 8, line 15: «kāfēisè («KAH-fay-suh», coffee colour) is brown; zōngsè is another word for brown.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «kāfēisè» (+2); the same property (+2); the same light verb (be, have, do, get, go) (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 11 · wrong ✗
Ming's mum looks out: «tiān hēi le, huí jiā!» What does she want?
- 1. You to wear black — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. You to look at the stars — no support
- 3. You to go home, it's got dark — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. You to get the black bag — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 1 · formal language · wrong ✗
Identify the colour customarily associated with good fortune and celebration in Chinese culture.
- 1. Grey — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Green — no support
- 3. White — no support
- 4. Red — ✓ the right answer · no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 2 · formal language · wrong ✗
Ascertain the reason for which the presentation of a green hat to a man is to be avoided.
- 1. It is a well-known jest concerning a man made a fool of — ✓ the right answer · score 3
- 2. Green is the colour customarily worn in mourning — no support
- 3. Green signifies poverty — no support
- 4. Hats may not be given as gifts under any circumstances — ← Mova's choice · score 8
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 8, against 3 for the next best. Its support: lesson 8, line 3: «Watch the sounds: lǜ (green) needs the new ü — say «ee» with lips rounded for «oo» — or it turns into lù (road). And never give a man a green hat: it is a famo…», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «give» (+4); the same thing acted on «green hat» (+4). The right option, 1, scored 3. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 3 · formal language · right ✓
Select the response consistent with the established facts concerning the colour white in Chinese tradition.
- 1. It was worn exclusively by the emperors — no support
- 2. It is associated with funerals and mourning — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 8
- 3. It is reserved for wedding celebrations alone — no support
- 4. It signifies wealth and prosperity — no support
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 8, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 8, line 2: «Colours carry feelings. Red is the happy, lucky colour of festivals; white is the colour of funerals, so white flowers are not a birthday present. Even writing…», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same thing acted on «colour» (+4); the same circumstance (+4). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 4 · formal language · right ✓
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the element sè in the names of colours?
- 1. It indicates the plural — score 4
- 2. It is an intensifying particle — score 5
- 3. It denotes a particular shade of red or orange — score 4
- 4. It is the word signifying colour itself — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 8
Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 4 with score 8, against 5 for the next best. Its support: lesson 8, line 1: «Picking crayons with Ming you hear a little «-sè» on the end of every colour: hóngsè, lánsè, huángsè. sè is the word for colour, just as yánsè is «colour» itse…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+3); the same doer «sè» (+2); the same thing acted on «word» (+2); the same light verb (be, have, do, get, go) (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/chinese-street/8-colours/