Soft words for hard things: illness, disability and the body
Tests: 7 of 12 right · Exam: 0 of 4 right · Kind: ★ · Understood: 3 of 16 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72
Lesson 4 of the euphemisms 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 · ★ · wrong ✗
News: "The actor died last week after a long illness." What does the reader probably guess?
- 1. He died very suddenly — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. He died of cancer or a slow disease — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. He died of old age only — no support
- 4. He died in a car crash on the motorway — 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 2 · ★ · right ✓
The dentist: "This might cause a little discomfort." Jack says "so it won't hurt?" What is true?
- 1. Jack will be cold — no support
- 2. It will probably hurt a little — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 4
- 3. Jack will be bored — no support
- 4. It definitely will not hurt at all, not one bit — no support
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 4, line 5: «Vivid example: when a nurse says "you may feel some discomfort", get ready, because it will probably hurt.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «hurt» (+4); the same property (+2). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 3 · ★ · right ✓
Chatty: "omg Sarah's got a bun in the oven!!! due in June" What happens in June?
- 1. Sarah's baby is due to be born — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. Sarah's oven is being fixed — no support
- 3. Sarah starts a baking course — no support
- 4. Sarah's cake will be ready — 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 ✗
A school letter: "Children with special needs will get extra time in tests." Who gets extra time?
- 1. Children who are very clever — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Children who ask for it — no support
- 3. Children who are late to school in the morning — no support
- 4. Children whose disabilities need extra help — ✓ the right answer · no support
Why: Nothing it remembers matched the question, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 5 · ★ · wrong ✗
Gran: "Your grandad's a bit hard of hearing, so speak up." What should you do?
- 1. Speak very fast — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Speak louder and clearly — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. Speak to someone else — no support
- 4. Speak more quietly and gently — 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 · ★ · right ✓
A hospital letter: "Your procedure is booked for Monday." What will happen on Monday?
- 1. You will have an operation — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. You will have a holiday — no support
- 3. You will see a film — no support
- 4. You will pay a bill at the hospital — 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 · ★ · right ✓
Gossip: "He's got a drinking problem, poor sod, can't keep a job." What is wrong with him?
- 1. He is always thirsty, even at night — no support
- 2. He cannot afford drinks — no support
- 3. He drinks too much alcohol — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 3
- 4. He drinks only water — no support
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 3, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 4, line 25: «"Has a drinking problem" means is an alcoholic, a person who cannot stop drinking alcohol.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «drink» (+2); the same thing acted on «alcohol» (+2). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 8 · ★ · right ✓
A report: "Adverse events rose by 10% at the clinic." What does that mean?
- 1. More patients were harmed by treatment — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. More nurses were hired — no support
- 3. More events were held at the clinic — no support
- 4. More patients came to the clinic — 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 9 · ★ · right ✓
Zoe: "Mum said Mrs Grant is expecting, so who's she expecting?" What should Zoe be told?
- 1. Mrs Grant is going to have a baby — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. Mrs Grant is expecting good weather — no support
- 3. Mrs Grant is waiting for her husband — no support
- 4. Mrs Grant is waiting for the post — 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 · ★ · wrong ✗
Gran: "I had one of my funny turns at the bus stop." What should a grown-up do?
- 1. Buy her a new bus pass — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Worry, and take her to a doctor — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. Laugh, because she told a joke — no support
- 4. Nothing, she only turned around — no support
Why: Nothing it remembers matched the question, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 11 · ★ · right ✓
A friend says "my dad's going through a rough patch since he lost his job". What does this mean?
- 1. Her dad is having a very hard time — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. Her dad is repairing the road — no support
- 3. Her dad is learning to garden — no support
- 4. Her dad is sewing his clothes — 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 12 · ★ · wrong ✗
Which phrase for pregnancy is joking rather than polite?
- 1. Expecting — ← Mova's choice · score 5
- 2. Eating for two — ✓ the right answer · score 5
- 3. In a delicate condition — no support
- 4. In the family way — no support
Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 1 with score 5, tied with another option at 5 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 1, line 10: «"Kicked the bucket" means died; it is a joking, informal phrase.», 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 «bucket» (+2). The right option, 2, scored 5. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 1 · formal language · wrong ✗
Identify the plain meaning of the expression "visually impaired" as employed in official documents.
- 1. Exceedingly fatigued — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Wearing tinted spectacles — no support
- 3. Unable to read in a foreign language — no support
- 4. Partly or fully blind — ✓ 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 ✗
It is given that a medical practitioner forewarns a patient of "some discomfort". Determine what the patient should anticipate.
- 1. A sensation of cold — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. A period of boredom — no support
- 3. A degree of pain — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. A feeling of hunger — 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 3 · formal language · wrong ✗
Select the response that is consistent with the established meaning of the term "adverse event" in medical records.
- 1. A disagreement among the staff — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. An unfavourable change in the weather — no support
- 3. Harm or injury caused by medical treatment — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. A cancelled hospital appointment — 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 4 · formal language · wrong ✗
Ascertain the plain meaning of the old-fashioned expression "in the family way".
- 1. Obstructing the household — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Exhibiting a family resemblance — no support
- 3. Pregnant — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. Residing with one's relatives — 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
This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/euphemisms/4-illness-disability-and-babies/