Olympiad practice: the hardest cases

Tests: 4 of 10 right · Exam: 3 of 4 right · Kind: ★★★ · Understood: 9 of 14 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72

Lesson 100 of the religion ethics 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 ✗

Your mate says, "Letting him copy is kind, so it's fine." What is the best-reasoned reply?

1. Kindness matters, but helping him study is kind and honest, while copying hides the problem — ✓ the right answer · no support
2. He's right, any kindness makes cheating fine — no support
3. It's fine if you only let him copy once a year — ← Mova's choice · score 3
4. Copying is fine if he's your best friend — no support

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 3 with score 3, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 84, line 2: «Ollie's mate has started wearing a hat he thinks gives him "rizz" (charm, being cool), and everyone laughs behind his back; a quiet, kind word from Ollie is be…», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+5); the same thing acted on «mate» (+3); the same action «let» (+2). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-1); one says «not», the other does not (counts against) (-6). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 2 · ★★★ · right ✓

"Swear you won't tell, or I'll hate you for ever," says Tia's friend, packing a bag. What is the right move?

1. Keep the promise and hope she's OK, because a promise to a friend is sacred — no support
2. Help her pack so she's safe — score 2
3. Tell a trusted adult right now; her safety matters more than the promise — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 5
4. Tell her to wait until summer — no support

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 3 with score 5, against 2 for the next best. Its support: lesson 79, line 10: «If a friend says or writes that they wish they were dead, tell an adult you trust straight away.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «tell» (+3); the same receiver «adult» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 3 · ★★★ · right ✓

Ivy's friend says, "Mum and Dad split 'cause I was naughty, for real." What is honest comfort?

1. Maybe you were too naughty, say sorry — no support
2. I don't know, ask your naughty brother — no support
3. Children don't cause that; let's tell a grown-up you trust how you feel — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score -3
4. Don't worry, they'll get back together tomorrow, they always do in the end — 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 33, line 5: «Most faiths and humanism share honesty, kindness, care for the poor and the Golden Rule, so a Christian child can make friends across beliefs, learn real facts…», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «make» (+1). Against it: a different thing acted on (counts against) (-2); one says «not», the other does not (counts against) (-2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 4 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

A cartoon shows a kid who yells at his dad in front of the school for lying about a holiday. What would be better?

1. Yelling louder so more people hear — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Asking Dad privately and respectfully how he sees it — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. Never mentioning it to anyone — no support
4. Telling the school that Dad is a criminal who should be punished — 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 5 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

Mo's mate says, "The ref didn't see it, so it didn't happen." What is a reasoned view?

1. Nobody ever owns up in football, so forget it — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Hand back the trophy without saying why — no support
3. He's right; only the ref decides what happened on the pitch, and that is final — no support
4. It did happen; owning up is admired, though people argue about the ref's call — ✓ 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 6 · ★★★ · right ✓

"Rory, you liar, you haven't got a horse!" someone shouts in class. Why is a quiet word better?

1. Because nobody in the class cares about horses anyway — no support
2. Because Rory might really have a horse that nobody has seen — no support
3. Because shouting is always fine if somebody is lying — no support
4. It helps Rory stop without shaming him in public — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 3

Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 4 with score 3, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 58, line 7: ««Lost», «passed away», «passed on» and «she's away» are gentle ways of saying someone has died; clear words help children most, because a child told «gone to s…», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «help» (+2); the same doer «clear words» (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 7 · ★★★ · right ✓

Kids push Nadia: "Go on, is her house big or not?" What protects her friend without a lie?

1. "Ask her, it's her business" — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 7
2. "She lies about everything she says" — score 7
3. "No, they're totally broke, sorry" — no support
4. "Yes, it's a mansion with a pool" — no support

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 1 with score 7, tied with another option at 7 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 85, line 7: «Psychologists find lies often need more lies to protect them; owning up early ("I made it up, sorry") ends the web.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+4); the same doer «owning» (+3). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 8 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

What would happen if everyone thought any lie was fine whenever it helped them?

1. Life would be easier and safer for everybody — no support
2. Everyone would be happier and kinder to each other — ← Mova's choice · score 6
3. Only olympiads would be affected, nothing else — score 4
4. Nobody could trust anyone's words any more — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: It took the question to ask what happens next. It chose option 2 with score 6, against 4 for the next best. Its support: lesson 80, line 17: «Everyone can join a moment of thanks in their own way: praying, thinking or simply being quiet.», reached through what followed the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «everyone» (+4); the same light verb (be, have, do, get, go) (+2). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 9 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

Your cousin says, "Ananias died and Peter didn't, so God has favourites." What is a better reading?

1. The Bible says nothing about either of them — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Peter was richer, so he was saved — no support
3. Ananias was a stranger, so he didn't count — no support
4. Peter repented after a panicked lie; they planned theirs and stuck to it, though some mystery remains — ✓ 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 10 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

A judge asks, "Is honesty ALWAYS the best policy?" A team answers, "Yes, full stop." What would make it stronger?

1. Saying the other team is wrong — no support
2. Repeating the question back to the judge, slowly and very clearly — ← Mova's choice · score 7
3. Saying "full stop" louder — no support
4. Giving reasons and facing the hard cases, like saving a life — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 2 with score 7, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 50, line 4: «Judges ask questions: listen, think, then answer directly; saying "we had not considered that" is better than bluffing, and when the other team speaks you begi…», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+5); the same thing acted on «questions» (+3). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-1). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 1 · formal language · right ✓

Which of the following most accurately characterises the principle rejected by Paul in Romans 3:8?

1. That evil may be done in order that good may result — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
2. That assistance ought to be rendered to the needy — no support
3. That good ought to be done irrespective of consequences — no support
4. That falsehood is invariably impermissible — 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 · right ✓

Given that a friend discloses an intention to run away from home and exacts a promise of secrecy, identify the course of action most consistent with this lesson.

1. The accompaniment of the friend upon her departure so as to ensure her safety throughout the journey — no support
2. The immediate disclosure of the intention to a trusted adult, safety outweighing the promise — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 2
3. The postponement of any action until the following day — no support
4. The preservation of the promise in all circumstances — no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 2, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 86, line 7: «A promise is a real duty: only a stronger duty, like helping someone who is hurt, can outweigh it, not a better offer.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «outweigh» (+1); the same thing acted on «promise» (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 3 · formal language · wrong ✗

Select the statement most consistent with the established distinction between the falsehood of Peter and that of Ananias and Sapphira.

1. Neither falsehood was in any respect different from the other — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Peter's falsehood was premeditated, whereas theirs arose from sudden fear — no support
3. Peter's falsehood arose from sudden fear and was followed by repentance, whereas theirs was premeditated and maintained — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. Peter uttered no falsehood whatsoever — 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 · right ✓

Ascertain which response to the question "Is honesty always the best policy?" would be most highly regarded by olympiad judges.

1. One which affirms honesty without qualification or reason — no support
2. One which denies the value of honesty entirely — score 2
3. One which declines to answer on the ground of difficulty — no support
4. One which affirms honesty as the rule, examines the rare grave exceptions, and weighs both sides with reasons — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 6

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 6, against 2 for the next best. Its support: lesson 99, line 1: «In an ethics olympiad you meet dilemmas where truth, loyalty, kindness and safety pull different ways, and the judges reward the answer that gives reasons and…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «weigh» (+4); the same thing acted on «sides» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

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