---
title: Identify the principal means by which the thorny devil obtains water… — The Australian outback: red kangaroos,… · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal means by which the thorny devil obtains water within an arid environment. Exam question 1 of lesson 165 «The Australian outback: red kangaroos, emus, thorny devils and runaway camels and toads» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragma
---

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# Exam question 1 · The Australian outback: red kangaroos, emus, thorny devils…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal means by which the thorny devil obtains water within an arid environment.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you, principal, thorny devil · **What happens:** identify, mean, obtain · **To what, where:** water

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 165 «The Australian outback: red kangaroos, emus, thorny devils and runaway camels and toads» 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/165-the-australian-outback-kangaroos-emus-thorny-devils-and-runaway-toads/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:165-the-australian-outback-kangaroos-emus-thorny-devils-and-runaway-toads:e1:1
# text = Identify the principal means by which the thorny devil obtains water within an arid environment.
1	Identify	identify	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	principal	principal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	ccomp	_	_
5	by	by	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	10	obl	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	thorny	thorny	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	devil	devil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	obtains	obtain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
11	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
12	within	within	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
13	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
14	arid	arid	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	environment	environment	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **identify** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **mean** | present | the principal |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **obtain** | present | the thorny devil | water |  |  |  | within a arid environment | vn obtain-13.5.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent water=Theme |

<!-- .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 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Fine grooves between its spines conduct moisture from damp sand to its mouth

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:165-the-australian-outback-kangaroos-emus-thorny-devils-and-runaway-toads:e1:o1:1
# text = Fine grooves between its spines conduct moisture from damp sand to its mouth
1	Fine	fine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	grooves	groove	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
3	between	between	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	spines	spine	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nmod	_	_
6	conduct	conduct	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	moisture	moisture	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
8	from	from	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	damp	damp	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	sand	sand	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
11	to	to	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	mouth	mouth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **conduct** | present | Fine grooves between its spines | moisture |  | damp sand |  | to sand's mouth | vn accompany-51.7 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent moisture=Theme from sand=Destination |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It excavates deep wells in the sand with its strong foreclaws during the night

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:165-the-australian-outback-kangaroos-emus-thorny-devils-and-runaway-toads:e1:o2:1
# text = It excavates deep wells in the sand with its strong foreclaws during the night
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	excavates	excavate	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	deep	deep	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	wells	well	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	sand	sand	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
8	with	with	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
10	strong	strong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	foreclaws	foreclaw	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
12	during	during	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **excavate** | present | It | deep wells |  | the sand | night | with sand's strong foreclaws | vn search-35.2 «NP V NP PP.theme»: agent=Agent well=Location |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It consumes the dew of flowers exclusively

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:165-the-australian-outback-kangaroos-emus-thorny-devils-and-runaway-toads:e1:o3:1
# text = It consumes the dew of flowers exclusively
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	consumes	consume	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	dew	dew	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	flowers	flower	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	_
7	exclusively	exclusively	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **consume** | present | It | the dew of flowers |  |  |  | exclusively *property* | vn consume-66 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent dew=Asset |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It dispenses with water entirely throughout its life

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:165-the-australian-outback-kangaroos-emus-thorny-devils-and-runaway-toads:e1:o4:1
# text = It dispenses with water entirely throughout its life
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	dispenses	dispense	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	with	with	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
5	entirely	entirely	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
6	throughout	throughout	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	life	life	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **dispense** | present | It |  |  |  | throughout water's life | with water; entirely *property* | tree rules |

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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.

<!-- /div -->

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