---
title: Soft words for hard things: crime, prison and the police and lying a… — how Mova does on the tests · Euphemisms
description: Lesson 28 of the euphemisms course of Mova's primary school: 7 of 13 tests right, exam 2 of 4, every question with the options, the student's choice, the right answer and why it chose.
---

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# Soft words for hard things: crime, prison and the police and lying and honesty

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**Tests:** 7 of 13 right · **Exam:** 2 of 4 right · **Kind:** ★ · **Understood:** 6 of 17 · **Run:** 2026-10-18, commit `f3c23ea72`

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Lesson 28 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](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/).

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Every question of this lesson and each of its options parsed by Mova, with trees and pragmatics: [the lesson's questions in the corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/).

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### Test 1 · ★ · right ✓ {#t1}

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News: "The charity's treasurer is accused of misappropriation of funds." What is she accused of?

- **1.** Counting the money badly — score 2
- **2.** Stealing money she was trusted to look after — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 9
- **3.** Losing the receipts — no support
- **4.** Giving money to the poor — score 2

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**Why:** It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 2 with score 9, against 2 for the next best. Its support: lesson 28, line 2: «Officials use long words that sound like paperwork: stealing money becomes "misappropriation of funds", fraud becomes "irregularities", a lie becomes an "inope…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «steal» (+6); it fills the role the question asks for (+2); the same thing acted on «money» (+1). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/t1/)

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### Test 2 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t2}

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"Cheap trainers, mate, don't ask — they fell off the back of a lorry." What is the seller hinting?

- **1.** The trainers are made of rubber — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** The trainers came by post — no support
- **3.** The trainers are stolen — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **4.** The trainers are damaged — no support

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**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](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/t2/)

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### Test 3 · ★ · right ✓ {#t3}

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Teacher's report: "Sam has been telling stories about his homework again." What has Sam done?

- **1.** Lied about his homework — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **2.** Written great stories for homework — no support
- **3.** Forgotten his homework once — no support
- **4.** Read books aloud in class — no support

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**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](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/t3/)

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### Test 4 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t4}

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Gran opens a gift she dislikes and says "Oh, lovely!" What kind of lie is that?

- **1.** A tall tale — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** An inoperative statement — no support
- **3.** A white lie — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **4.** Misappropriation — no support

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**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](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/t4/)

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### Test 5 · ★ · right ✓ {#t5}

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Bank warning: "Fraudsters use social engineering to get your PIN." What do they do?

- **1.** Trick you into telling them your PIN — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **2.** Hack the bank's wires — no support
- **3.** Fix your phone for free and then send you a big bill — no support
- **4.** Build a fake bank — no support

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**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](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/t5/)

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### Test 6 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t6}

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"Oi, stop telling porkies! You never saw a shark in the canal." What is the speaker saying?

- **1.** Stop talking about pigs — no support
- **2.** Hush — **← Mova's choice** · score 4
- **3.** Stop lying — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **4.** Stop eating pies — no support

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**Why:** It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 2 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 19, line 2: «Old-fashioned speakers say "in reduced circumstances"; friends say "hard up" or "a bit short"; officials say "food insecure" or "receiving public assistance".», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «fashioned speakers» (+3); the same action «say» (+1). The right option, 3, found no support in what it remembers. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/t6/)

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### Test 7 · ★ · right ✓ {#t7}

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Old crime film: "Cross the boss and you'll sleep with the fishes." What is the threat?

- **1.** You will be murdered — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **2.** You will lose your job — no support
- **3.** You will sleep on a boat — no support
- **4.** You will be sent fishing — no support

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**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](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/t7/)

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### Test 8 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t8}

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A driver was "under the influence" when he crashed. Which is true?

- **1.** He was under a bridge — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** He was drunk or on drugs — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **3.** He was being bossed by a friend — no support
- **4.** He was very tired — no support

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**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](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/t8/)

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### Test 9 · ★ · right ✓ {#t9}

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Press office: "The minister's earlier statement is inoperative." What does it admit?

- **1.** The minister was ill — no support
- **2.** The microphone was broken — no support
- **3.** The statement was too long — no support
- **4.** The earlier statement was false — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 3

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**Why:** It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 4 with score 3, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 25, line 3: «Politics does the same with money and bad news: a statement that turned out false is suddenly called "inoperative".», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same property (+2); the same doer «statement» (+1). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/t9/)

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### Test 10 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t10}

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"My uncle caught a fish THIS big, he says. Classic tall tale." What does the speaker think?

- **1.** The uncle tells true stories — **← Mova's choice** · score 9
- **2.** The uncle's story is invented — **✓ the right answer** · score 9
- **3.** The uncle caught a real big fish — no support
- **4.** The uncle is very tall — no support

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**Why:** It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 9, tied with another option at 9 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 28, line 22: «"Telling stories" is what British adults say to a child who is lying.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «tell» (+6); it fills the role the question asks for (+2); the same thing acted on «stories» (+1). The right option, 2, scored 9. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/t10/)

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### Test 11 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t11}

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"He's being a bit creative with the truth about why he was late." What does it mean?

- **1.** He drew a picture of his excuse — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** He has a clever true excuse — no support
- **3.** He is lying about why he was late — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **4.** He was late because he was painting — no support

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**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](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/t11/)

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### Test 12 · ★ · right ✓ {#t12}

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A report finds the railway's costs were hidden by "strategic misrepresentation". What happened?

- **1.** The railway won a strategy prize — no support
- **2.** The costs were counted by mistake — no support
- **3.** A map was drawn wrongly — no support
- **4.** The real costs were hidden on purpose to win approval — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 5

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**Why:** It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 5, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 28, line 25: «"Strategic misrepresentation" means deliberate lying to win approval, for example hiding a project's real cost.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «hide» (+3); the same thing acted on «real cost» (+2). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/t12/)

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### Test 13 · ★ · right ✓ {#t13}

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"Under the law of that country the ultimate penalty still exists." What does the law still allow?

- **1.** Banning players for life — no support
- **2.** Sending people abroad — no support
- **3.** Huge fines for parking — no support
- **4.** Executing criminals — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 4

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**Why:** It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 4 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 28, line 12: «"The ultimate penalty" means the death penalty: the law kills (executes) the criminal.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «execute» (+2); the same thing acted on «criminal» (+2). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/t13/)

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### Exam question 1 · formal language · wrong ✗ {#e1}

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Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the term "irregularities" as employed in an official audit?

- **1.** It denotes pages bound out of sequence — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** It denotes fraud or wrongdoing — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **3.** It denotes figures printed in uneven columns — no support
- **4.** It denotes untidy handwriting — no support

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**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](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/e1/)

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### Exam question 2 · formal language · right ✓ {#e2}

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Identify the meaning of an "enhanced pat-down" as conducted pursuant to airport security regulations.

- **1.** A thorough search of the body — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **2.** An expedited passage without inspection — no support
- **3.** A courteous pat upon the shoulder — no support
- **4.** A complimentary massage — no support

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**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](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/e2/)

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### Exam question 3 · formal language · wrong ✗ {#e3}

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It is given that a witness states that he "misremembered" an event. Select the response that is consistent with the established usage of that term.

- **1.** He recalled it with perfect accuracy — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** He recorded the event in writing — no support
- **3.** He recalled it falsely or lied about it — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **4.** He failed to attend the event — no support

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**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](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/e3/)

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### Exam question 4 · formal language · right ✓ {#e4}

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Ascertain the meaning of "stretching the truth".

- **1.** Exaggerating to the point of lying — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **2.** Narrating a lengthy true account — no support
- **3.** Performing exercises whilst conversing — no support
- **4.** Speaking in a deliberately slow manner — no support

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**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](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/e4/)

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- ← previous: [27. Soft words for hard things: crime, prison and th…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/euphemisms/27-crime-prison-and-police/)
- next →: [29. Soft words for hard things: lying and honesty an…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/euphemisms/29-lying-and-drinking/)
- ↑ back to [Euphemisms](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/euphemisms/)