---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — The polar zone: arctic foxes, snowy ow… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the arctic fox? Exam question 1 of lesson 106 «The polar zone: arctic foxes, snowy owls, lemmings and reindeer» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; 
---

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# Exam question 1 · The polar zone: arctic foxes, snowy owls, lemmings and rei…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the arctic fox?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** follow, characteris · **To what, where:** arctic fox

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 106 «The polar zone: arctic foxes, snowy owls, lemmings and reindeer» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, asked in stiff, formal language. The page gives the question's syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause, then the 4 options as the student saw them, each with its tree and pragmatics. Every text is parsed by Mova itself. How the student answered it, with the score of every option and why: [the test at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/biology/106-the-polar-zone-arctic-foxes-snowy-owls-lemmings-reindeer/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:106-the-polar-zone-arctic-foxes-snowy-owls-lemmings-reindeer:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the arctic fox?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	8	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	following	follow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	amod	_	_
5	statements	statement	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	_
6	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	7	advmod	_	_
7	accurately	accurately	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	characterises	characteris	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	arctic	arctic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	fox	fox	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **follow** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **characteris** | present |  | the arctic fox |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Its coat remains white throughout the year

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:106-the-polar-zone-arctic-foxes-snowy-owls-lemmings-reindeer:e1:o1:1
# text = Its coat remains white throughout the year
1	Its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	coat	coat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	remains	remain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	white	white	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	xcomp	_	_
5	throughout	throughout	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	year	year	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **remain** | present | Its coat |  |  |  | year | white *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Its large ears dissipate heat, as do those of the fennec fox

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:106-the-polar-zone-arctic-foxes-snowy-owls-lemmings-reindeer:e1:o2:1
# text = Its large ears dissipate heat, as do those of the fennec fox
1	Its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
2	large	large	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	ears	ear	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	dissipate	dissipate	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	heat	heat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
7	as	a	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
8	do	do	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
9	those	that	PRON	DT	Number=Plur|PronType=Dem	8	obj	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	fennec	fennec	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	compound	_	_
13	fox	fox	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **dissipate** | present | Its large ears | heat |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent heat=Patient |
| 2 | **do** | present | as | those |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent that=Eventuality |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It shivers whenever the temperature falls below freezing

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:106-the-polar-zone-arctic-foxes-snowy-owls-lemmings-reindeer:e1:o3:1
# text = It shivers whenever the temperature falls below freezing
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	shivers	shiver	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	whenever	whenever	SCONJ	WRB	_	6	mark	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	temperature	temperature	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	falls	fall	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	advcl	_	_
7	below	below	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	freezing	freezing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **shiver** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn body\_internal\_states-40.6 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |
| 2 | **fall** | present | the temperature |  |  | freezing |  |  | vn occur-48.3 «NP V PP»: agent=Theme below freezing=Location |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Its small ears and short muzzle limit the loss of heat, and its coat changes colour with the seasons

<!-- fold The tree, 19 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:106-the-polar-zone-arctic-foxes-snowy-owls-lemmings-reindeer:e1:o4:1
# text = Its small ears and short muzzle limit the loss of heat, and its coat changes colour with the seasons
1	Its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
2	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	ears	ear	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	16	nsubj	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
5	short	short	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
6	muzzle	muzzle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	limit	limit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	conj	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	loss	loss	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	heat	heat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
14	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	15	nmod:poss	_	_
15	coat	coat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nsubj	_	_
16	changes	change	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
17	colour	colour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obj	_	_
18	with	with	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	seasons	season	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	16	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **change** | present | Its small ears and short muzzle limit | colour |  |  | season |  | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent colour=Patient |

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**Text:** the tests of Mova's primary school, written for Mova (`world/data/school/`), as the course runner gave them to the student. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each text read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

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