---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Bambi: real deer, rabbits, skunks and… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the defensive conduct of the skunk? Exam question 3 of lesson 143 «Bambi: real deer, rabbits, skunks and owls» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; M
---

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# Exam question 3 · Bambi: real deer, rabbits, skunks and owls

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the defensive conduct of the skunk?

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

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 143 «Bambi: real deer, rabbits, skunks and owls» 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/143-bambi-real-deer-rabbits-skunks-and-owls/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:143-bambi-real-deer-rabbits-skunks-and-owls:e3:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the defensive conduct of the skunk?
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	defensive	defensive	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	conduct	conduct	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	skunk	skunk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	?	?	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 defensive conduct of the skunk |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **conduct** |  |  | the skunk |  |  |  |  | nom conduct «act transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- .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 -->
The animal discharges its spray at all creatures it encounters, without any preliminary warning whatsoever

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:143-bambi-real-deer-rabbits-skunks-and-owls:e3:o1:1
# text = The animal discharges its spray at all creatures it encounters, without any preliminary warning whatsoever
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	discharges	discharge	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	spray	spray	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	8	det	_	_
8	creatures	creature	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
10	encounters	encounter	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
12	without	without	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
13	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	15	det	_	_
14	preliminary	preliminary	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	compound	_	_
15	warning	warning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	parataxis	_	_
16	whatsoever	whatsoever	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **discharge** | present | the animal | animal's spray |  | all creatures |  |  | vn banish-10.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent spray=Theme |
| 2 | **encounter** | present | animal | all creatures *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn encounter-30.5 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer creature=Stimulus |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The animal is incapable of any discharge

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:143-bambi-real-deer-rabbits-skunks-and-owls:e3:o2:1
# text = The animal is incapable of any discharge
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	incapable	incapable	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	7	det	_	_
7	discharge	discharge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the animal | incapable |  |  |  | of any discharge | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The animal discharges its spray for amusement

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:143-bambi-real-deer-rabbits-skunks-and-owls:e3:o3:1
# text = The animal discharges its spray for amusement
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	discharges	discharge	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	spray	spray	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	amusement	amusement	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **discharge** | present | the animal | animal's spray |  |  |  | for amusement | vn banish-10.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent spray=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The animal discharges its spray only as a last resort, after warning displays

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:143-bambi-real-deer-rabbits-skunks-and-owls:e3:o4:1
# text = The animal discharges its spray only as a last resort, after warning displays
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	discharges	discharge	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	spray	spray	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	only	only	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
7	as	as	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	last	last	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	resort	resort	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
12	after	after	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	warning	warning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	compound	_	_
14	displays	display	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **discharge** | present | the animal | animal's spray |  |  | after warning displays | as a last resort | vn banish-10.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent spray=Theme |

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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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