---
title: Tricks the mind plays: inner voices, superstitions and being sure bu… — how Mova does on the tests · Reflection
description: Lesson 27 of the reflection course of Mova's primary school: 5 of 11 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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# Tricks the mind plays: inner voices, superstitions and being sure but wrong

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**Tests:** 5 of 11 right · **Exam:** 2 of 4 right · **Kind:** ★★★ · **Understood:** 6 of 15 · **Run:** 2026-10-18, commit `f3c23ea72`

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Lesson 27 of the reflection 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/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/).

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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/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/).

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### Test 1 · ★★★ · right ✓ {#t1}

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Ava's mate goes, "ur not annoying, ur just you, it's giving main character." ("It's giving" means it seems like; "main character" means someone lively and fun.) How should Ava treat the old voice now?

- **1.** Answer it: "That's not true," and keep talking — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 5
- **2.** Ask everyone if she is annoying — no support
- **3.** Go silent so nobody can be annoyed — no support
- **4.** Believe it, because it came from a best friend — no support

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**Why:** It took the question to ask what something is like. It chose option 1 with score 5, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 1, line 15: «Dementia is an illness that damages memory and thinking; a person may forget names but often still responds to a loved voice, a hug or an old song.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «respond» (+4); the same receiver (+2). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-1). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/t1/)

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### Test 2 · ★★★ · right ✓ {#t2}

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Kai's dad says, "Thousands of planes land safely every single day." Why does that help?

- **1.** It shows crashes are very rare — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **2.** It proves Kai's plane will be the one to crash — no support
- **3.** It means the news was lying about the crash — no support
- **4.** It means trains are much more dangerous — 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/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/t2/)

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### Test 3 · ★★★ · right ✓ {#t3}

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Lucy's nan says, "Touch wood you'll pass, pet." ("Touch wood" is a saying for good luck.) What really decides Lucy's test?

- **1.** What she has learned, not luck charms — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **2.** How many times she touches wood — no support
- **3.** What day of the week the test happens to be on — no support
- **4.** Whether she has her lucky pencil — 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/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/t3/)

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### Test 4 · ★★★ · right ✓ {#t4}

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What would happen if Lucy kept believing in the pencil?

- **1.** She'd likely remember only the times it "worked" — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 4
- **2.** Nothing; superstitions are always true — no support
- **3.** She would fail every single test whenever she forgot it — no support
- **4.** The pencil would get luckier every year — score 3

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**Why:** It took the question to ask what happens next. It chose option 1 with score 4, against 3 for the next best. Its support: lesson 27, line 4: «The mind plays other tricks too: rare things on the news feel common, a lucky pencil seems to work because we remember only the hits, the crowd's laugh pulls o…», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «work» (+2); the same doer «lucky pencil» (+2). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/t4/)

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### Test 5 · ★★★ · wrong ✗ {#t5}

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Theo's mate from Liverpool says, "Don't be a sheep, our kid." ("Sheep" means someone who just copies the crowd.) What's the kinder way to see what Theo did?

- **1.** It doesn't matter if the quiet boy heard — no support
- **2.** Laughing along with a crowd is always right — **← Mova's choice** · score 5
- **3.** He felt the crowd's pull; noticing it lets him choose — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **4.** He is a sheep forever and can't change — no support

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**Why:** It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 2 with score 5, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 27, line 4: «The mind plays other tricks too: rare things on the news feel common, a lucky pencil seems to work because we remember only the hits, the crowd's laugh pulls o…», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «laugh» (+3); the same circumstance (+2). 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/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/t5/)

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### Test 6 · ★★★ · wrong ✗ {#t6}

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Jade's mate says, "omg you wet the bed?? at NINE??" What's the true, kind answer?

- **1.** It only happens to babies and is weird — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** It means something is badly wrong with her — no support
- **3.** She should stay home from every sleepover — no support
- **4.** It's common and nothing to be ashamed of — **✓ the right answer** · 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/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/t6/)

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### Test 7 · ★★★ · right ✓ {#t7}

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Oscar's big sister says, "The toilet ghost? Proper urban legend, our Oscar, someone made it up years back." What helps Oscar most?

- **1.** Only going to the toilet in pairs forever — no support
- **2.** Knowing the story was made up — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 10
- **3.** Making up a scarier story back — no support
- **4.** Believing it a bit just in case — no support

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**Why:** It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 2 with score 10, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 27, line 12: «An urban legend is a made-up scary story that spreads as if it were true; knowing it was invented helps the fear fade.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+5); the same doer «knowing» (+3); a different action (counts against) (+2). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/t7/)

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### Test 8 · ★★★ · wrong ✗ {#t8}

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In a detective cartoon, the hero is always right the second she sees a suspect. What's Grace's real-life lesson?

- **1.** Coats never lie about who is wearing them — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** Trust your first look and tell everyone fast — no support
- **3.** Check before telling anyone — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **4.** Detectives never make mistakes, so copy them — 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/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/t8/)

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### Test 9 · ★★★ · wrong ✗ {#t9}

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Isla's teacher in Yorkshire says, "You're away with the fairies again, love." ("Away with the fairies" means daydreaming.) What is the helpful trick?

- **1.** Never daydreaming again, even at home — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** Writing instructions down and sitting near the front — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **3.** Pinching herself hard whenever she starts thinking about singing — no support
- **4.** Asking a friend to do the work for her — 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/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/t9/)

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### Test 10 · ★★★ · wrong ✗ {#t10}

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Harry's friend goes, "What spot? Fr, I didn't even see it." ("Fr" means for real.) What does this show?

- **1.** Spots are invisible to other children — no support
- **2.** Everyone saw it but was far too polite to say anything to him — **← Mova's choice** · score 10
- **3.** His friend is lying to make him feel better — score 10
- **4.** People notice small things far less than we think — **✓ the right answer** · score 4

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**Why:** It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 2 with score 10, tied with another option at 10 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 27, line 15: «Most people don't notice small things like a spot; feeling that everyone sees it is called being self-conscious.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+5); the same doer «everyone» (+3); the same action «see» (+2). The right option, 4, scored 4. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/t10/)

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### Test 11 · ★★★ · wrong ✗ {#t11}

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Finn's mum laughs: "I once dreamt I was a pancake." What is she teaching him?

- **1.** She is secretly a pancake in real life — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** He should worry more about his dreams — no support
- **3.** Dreams about food are the only safe dreams — no support
- **4.** Dreams are often weird and don't make you bad — **✓ the right answer** · 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/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/t11/)

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

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Which of the following statements most accurately characterises an "inner critic" persisting after a reconciliation?

- **1.** It is a voice audible to other persons in the vicinity — **← Mova's choice** · score 10
- **2.** It replays former remarks and does not represent the present truth — **✓ the right answer** · score 10
- **3.** It accurately represents the present opinion of all acquaintances — score 10
- **4.** It is incapable of diminution by any means whatsoever — score 10

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**Why:** It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 1 with score 10, tied with another option at 10 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 27, line 6: «An inner critic is the mean voice in your head; it can replay someone's words long after they meant them, and it is not the truth.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+5); the same doer «inner critic» (+3); the same light verb (be, have, do, get, go) (+2). The right option, 2, scored 10. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/e1/)

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### Exam question 2 · formal language · wrong ✗ {#e2}

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Identify the principal reason for which events reported in the news may be perceived as more frequent than they are.

- **1.** All events are reported in proportion to their frequency — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** Reporting an event in the news causes its frequency to increase thereafter — no support
- **3.** The prominence of rare and alarming events renders them readily recalled — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **4.** Persons possess precise knowledge of statistical frequencies — 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/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/e2/)

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### Exam question 3 · formal language · right ✓ {#e3}

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It is given that a pupil was certain she observed a theft, and subsequently discovered she had mistaken the person. Select the response consistent with the established facts.

- **1.** Certainty does not guarantee accuracy, and verification is advisable before disclosure — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **2.** Visual observation is infallible in conditions of daylight — no support
- **3.** Certainty constitutes conclusive proof of the facts observed — no support
- **4.** The person mistaken for the thief is nonetheless culpable — 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/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/e3/)

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

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In respect of the persistence of superstitious beliefs, determine which statement is correct.

- **1.** Instances of apparent success are recalled while failures are forgotten — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **2.** Superstitions are persistently confirmed by scientific evidence — no support
- **3.** Superstitions are maintained solely by persons of low intelligence or poor education — no support
- **4.** Lucky objects measurably improve examination performance — no support

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**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](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/e4/)

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