empathy

After Kezia wakes up frightened, her father lets her sleep beside him and makes her feel safe. Therefore, his behaviour is supportive. “Neglectful” is incorrect because he does not ignore her fear. Exam tip: This incident reveals the father’s loving and empathetic side.

Empathy means understanding another person's feelings and responding with sensitivity. Therefore, an empathetic father would understand Kezia's fears and feelings. Scolding her or ignoring her words would show a lack of empathy. Exam tip: In questions about empathy, look for the option that shows understanding of emotions.

Empathy means understanding another person's feelings and responding sensitively to them. Kezia is afraid of her father; laughing at that fear neither understands nor respects her feelings, so it is not empathy. Option A is incorrect because fear can be a real experience for the person who feels it. Exam tip: For questions on empathy, focus on understanding and respecting feelings.

Empathy means understanding another person’s feelings and situation. When a father and daughter understand each other with empathy, they communicate more openly and trust increases between them. Fear, distance, and anger usually grow from misunderstanding rather than empathy. Exam tip: link empathy with understanding, care, and trust in relationships.

Understanding loneliness means understanding another person's feeling. In exams connect loneliness with emotional need.

In the story, Kezia first sees her father as strict and frightening. When she understands his tiredness and care for her, empathy helps her recognise his hidden love. Pride and jealousy prevent understanding another person's feelings, while punishment is not a way to recognise love. Exam tip: Link empathy with understanding the feeling behind a character's behaviour.

Understanding intention could reduce fear and distance. In exams connect intention understanding with empathy.

Kezia fears her father because of his strict manner and imposing presence. Rather than mocking or blaming her, the reader should respond with empathy and understand her feelings. Option C is incorrect because fear can be a natural emotion for a child, not a fault. Exam tip: In ‘The Little Girl’, the appropriate response to Kezia is empathy.

Kezia makes the pin-cushion as a birthday gift for her father. Although she unknowingly stuffs it with the papers of his important speeches, her intention is to show love for him. Fear appears later when she expects punishment, so it is not the central feeling behind the incident. Exam tip: identify a character's intention, not only the result of the action.

When feelings are not understood, fear and distance increase. In exams connect lack of empathy with misunderstanding.

Father makes Kezia safe during fear. In exams connect protective affection with empathy.

An empathetic parent tries to understand the child’s feelings and speaks with love and patience. This helps the child feel safe and express thoughts freely. Anger or intimidation may make the child fearful rather than communicative. Exam tip: link empathy with understanding, kindness, and patient communication.

Empathy understands the feeling behind outer behaviour. In exams write outer behaviour and inner feeling.

Empathy means trying to understand another person’s feelings and situation, while also responding with care. It is more than simply feeling sorry for someone. When a person notices another person’s fear, pain, or difficulty and imagines what that person may be experiencing, empathy is present. Kindness often grows from this understanding because it encourages a gentle and helpful response.

Option C is correct because “empathy” directly includes emotional understanding and concern for Kezia. Punishment and anger describe harsh reactions, not caring understanding. Jealousy means resentment of another person’s advantage and has no connection with the supportive attitude described here. Thus, the word that best joins kindness with understanding is empathy.

Empathy means understanding another person's feelings and offering support when it is needed. Kezia is frightened, so she needs care and emotional reassurance rather than being left alone. Her father being busy does not remove her fear. Exam tip: In questions on empathy, choose the option that responds to the person's emotional need.

Empathy means trying to understand another person's feelings and situation. In ‘The Little Girl’, Kezia begins to understand her father's tiredness and care, which changes her view of him. Anger or punishment is not empathy. Exam tip: remember empathy as understanding another person's feelings.

After the nightmare, Kezia is frightened, but her father comforts her by letting her sleep beside him. His care and support give her a sense of security. “More fear” is the closest opposite distractor because his affection reduces, rather than increases, her fear. Exam tip: Link this incident to Kezia’s changing view of her father.

In the pin-cushion incident, Kezia tore up her father’s written material to use as stuffing because she wanted to make him a birthday gift. Empathy helps us look beyond the damage and punishment to understand her innocent, loving intention. Exam tip: Her method was wrong, but her motive was affection.

Punishment without understanding feeling can increase fear. In exams connect punishment without empathy with fear.

Calming Kezia’s fear shows empathy because it recognises her feelings and offers emotional support. Laughing at her mistake or scolding her would increase her distress, while ignoring her provides no support. Exam tip: In empathy questions, choose the action that understands and helps another person’s feelings.