---
title: Reading people in hard times: what's really behind the mean face — how Mova does on the tests · Reflection
description: Lesson 28 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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# Reading people in hard times: what's really behind the mean face

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

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Lesson 28 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/28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face/).

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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/28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face/).

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### Test 1 · ★★ · wrong ✗ {#t1}

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Kyle's brother goes, "Dev's being a right muppet, just ghost him." ("Ghost" means stop talking to someone without saying why.) What's the wiser view?

- **1.** His brother is right; ghosting fixes everything — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** Something hard may be going on; stay around and be kind — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **3.** Kyle should demand Dev says sorry first — no support
- **4.** Kyle should snap at Dev even harder — 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/28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face/t1/)

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### Test 2 · ★★ · right ✓ {#t2}

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What would probably have happened if Kyle kept snapping back for months?

- **1.** Nothing would change at all — no support
- **2.** Dev's dad would have moved back home and everything would be normal — no support
- **3.** The friendship would likely have broken while Dev struggled alone — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 2
- **4.** Dev would have told him everything straight away — no support

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**Why:** It took the question to ask what happens next. It chose option 3 with score 2, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 28, line 2: «Then Dev's mum told Kyle's mum that Dev's dad had moved out; Kyle felt shocked, then guilty for being so cross; over the next month he just sat with Dev, playe…», reached through what followed the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «kyle» (+4). Against it: a different thing acted on (counts against) (-2). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face/t2/)

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### Test 3 · ★★ · right ✓ {#t3}

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Lily's gran from Aberdeen says, "Yer mam's no fine, quine, gie her a cuddle." ("Quine" means girl; "gie" means give.) What's the gran noticing?

- **1.** Mum's face shows she isn't fine, and a hug could help — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 4
- **2.** Mum is lying to Lily to be mean — no support
- **3.** Mum wants to be left alone forever — no support
- **4.** Lily should sit Mum down and ask her all about the fight with Dad — no support

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**Why:** It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 28, line 9: «Grown-ups sometimes say "I'm fine" to protect children from worry; their faces often show the truth, and a hug or "you don't have to be fine" can help.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «show» (+2); the same doer «faces» (+2). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face/t3/)

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### Test 4 · ★★ · wrong ✗ {#t4}

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Josh says, "She was well grumpy, she must hate me." Later he hears about her dog. What helped Josh?

- **1.** Being rude back to her — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** Asking for a new teacher — no support
- **3.** Drawing her a card — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **4.** Telling her she was unfair — 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/28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face/t4/)

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### Test 5 · ★★ · right ✓ {#t5}

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Mia's mate says, "she laughed when you fell, she's fake, drop her." What's fairer?

- **1.** People sometimes laugh by reflex; she said sorry — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 5
- **2.** Laughing at a fall is always cruel on purpose — no support
- **3.** Mia should drop all her friends to be safe — no support
- **4.** Anyone who laughs once is fake forever — no support

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**Why:** It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 1 with score 5, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 28, line 11: «People sometimes laugh by reflex when someone falls; a real friend stops and helps when they see you are hurt.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same circumstance (+3); the same action «laugh» (+2). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face/t5/)

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### Test 6 · ★★ · wrong ✗ {#t6}

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Tom's mum, from Texas, says, "Your daddy's just fixin' to figure out work, darlin'." ("Fixin' to" means about to, trying to.) What does Tom learn?

- **1.** Tom should fix Dad's work for him — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** Quiet people are always secretly angry inside about something — no support
- **3.** Dad's quiet was about worry, not anger at Tom — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **4.** Dad was angry with Tom after all — 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/28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face/t6/)

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### Test 7 · ★★ · right ✓ {#t7}

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Holly's mate goes, "Kira's mum is ill, so let her be mean, it's fine." What's the better balance?

- **1.** Be kind to Kira, but still tell her to stop being mean — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **2.** Be mean back so Kira learns her lesson — no support
- **3.** Tell everyone so they all avoid Kira — no support
- **4.** Let Kira be mean because she's sad — 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/28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face/t7/)

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### Test 8 · ★★ · wrong ✗ {#t8}

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Leo's brother says, "I don't care!" In a cartoon, a character says that and the story moves on. What's often real?

- **1.** Slammed doors mean someone is happy — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** Saying "I don't care" can hide caring a lot — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **3.** People who say it truly never care — no support
- **4.** It means he really wants everyone to come into his room — 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/28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face/t8/)

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### Test 9 · ★★ · wrong ✗ {#t9}

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Ruby lies awake: "She said whatever, she's mad at me." What would have saved her a night of worry?

- **1.** Worrying harder to prepare herself — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** Sending her friend angry messages — no support
- **3.** Telling the class her friend was rude — no support
- **4.** Asking her friend the next day — **✓ 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/28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face/t9/)

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### Test 10 · ★★ · right ✓ {#t10}

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Archie's mum says, "Big boys cry too, love, your grandad grew up with different rules." What is she telling him?

- **1.** Only adults are allowed to cry — score 4
- **2.** Crying is not weak, whatever the old saying — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 5
- **3.** Archie should never ever cry anywhere near his grandad again — score 1
- **4.** Grandad was right and Archie is weak — no support

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**Why:** It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 2 with score 5, against 4 for the next best. Its support: lesson 15, line 2: «Last summer Leo told his mum he'd lost his phone, but really he'd swapped it with a mate for a game; Mum paid for a new one and cried about the money, and mont…», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «mum» (+3); the same action «cry» (+2). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face/t10/)

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### Test 11 · ★★ · wrong ✗ {#t11}

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Ellie's friend goes, "I'm fine, lol, it's all good, no stress." But she hasn't eaten lunch all week. What should Ellie do?

- **1.** Believe the "lol" and forget it — **← Mova's choice** · score 8
- **2.** Laugh along so it's all fine — score 7
- **3.** Tell a teacher she's worried — **✓ the right answer** · score 8
- **4.** Wait to see if it gets worse — score 8

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**Why:** It took the question to ask what is done. It chose option 1 with score 8, tied with another option at 8 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 27, line 1: «One sentence said in a bad moment can move into your head and live there: a month ago Ava's best friend snapped, "You're so annoying," they made up the very ne…», 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 action «think» (+3); a different doer (counts against) (+1). The right option, 3, scored 8. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face/t11/)

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

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Which of the following statements most accurately characterises a sudden change towards unkind conduct in a friend?

- **1.** It is wholly attributable to the conduct of the recipient — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** It frequently arises from undisclosed difficulties in the friend's own life — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **3.** It is a reliable indication of an unkind character from birth — no support
- **4.** It invariably reflects a deliberate decision to end the friendship — 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/28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face/e1/)

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

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Identify the principal reason for which an adult may assert that she is "fine" whilst visibly distressed.

- **1.** To protect a child from anxiety — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **2.** Because adults are incapable of sadness — no support
- **3.** To deceive the child for malicious ends — no support
- **4.** Because distress is a sign of contentment — 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/28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face/e2/)

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

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It is given that a friend laughs frequently but has ceased to eat at lunchtime following a family upheaval. Select the response consistent with the established facts.

- **1.** The friend is evidently content and no action is warranted — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** The friend's conduct is solely an attempt to attract attention — no support
- **3.** The friend may be masking distress, and a trusted adult ought to be informed — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **4.** The matter ought to be announced to the 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/reflection/28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face/e3/)

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

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In respect of the saying "hurt people hurt people", determine which statement is correct.

- **1.** It explains unkind conduct without excusing it — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **2.** It establishes that unkind conduct is wholly excused — no support
- **3.** It requires that unkind conduct be reciprocated — no support
- **4.** It applies solely to persons who are physically injured — 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/28-reading-people-in-hard-times-whats-really-behind-the-mean-face/e4/)

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- ← previous: [27. Tricks the mind plays: inner voices, superstitio…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/)
- next →: [29. Getting help: when sadness or worry won't go away](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/reflection/29-getting-help-when-sadness-or-worry-wont-go-away/)
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