---
title: «blocked the hole with my thumb-sized bit of foam, rat can't get in… — Rats and mice in the city, and the ele… · tree and pragmatics
description: «blocked the hole with my thumb-sized bit of foam, rat can't get in now, sorted» What is likely? Test 4 · ★ of lesson 222 «Rats and mice in the city, and the elephant and mouse myth» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each o
---

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# Test 4 · ★ · Rats and mice in the city, and the elephant and mouse myth

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«blocked the hole with my thumb-sized bit of foam, rat can't get in now, sorted» What is likely?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** rat · **What happens:** block, size, not get in, sort, be · **To what, where:** hole

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 4 · ★ of lesson 222 «Rats and mice in the city, and the elephant and mouse myth» of the biology course of Mova's primary school. 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/222-rats-and-mice-in-the-city-and-the-elephant-and-mouse-myth/#t4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:222-rats-and-mice-in-the-city-and-the-elephant-and-mouse-myth:t4:1
# text = «blocked the hole with my thumb-sized bit of foam, rat can't get in now, sorted» What is likely?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	blocked	block	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	hole	hole	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
6	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
7	thumb	thumb	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	sized	size	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	10	amod	_	_
10	bit	bit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	foam	foam	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
14	rat	rat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nsubj	_	_
15	ca	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	17	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	17	advmod	_	_
17	get	get	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	conj	_	_
18	in	in	ADV	RB	_	17	advmod	_	_
19	now	now	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	17	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	21	punct	_	_
21	sorted	sort	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	21	punct	_	_
23	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	25	nsubj	_	_
24	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	25	cop	_	_
25	likely	likely	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	21	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **block** *in a quote* | past |  | the hole |  |  |  | with my sized bit of foam | vn fill-9.8-1 «NP V NP PP.theme»: agent=Agent hole=Destination with bit=Theme |
| 2 | **size** *in a quote* | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **not** **get in** *in a quote* | can | rat |  |  |  | now |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Experiencer |
| 4 | **sort** *in a quote* | past |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn classify-29.10 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | likely *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 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A rat can still gnaw through it or find a coin-sized gap

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:222-rats-and-mice-in-the-city-and-the-elephant-and-mouse-myth:t4:o1:1
# text = A rat can still gnaw through it or find a coin-sized gap
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	rat	rat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	still	still	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	gnaw	gnaw	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	through	through	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	obl	_	_
8	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	find	find	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	conj	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
11	coin	coin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	sized	size	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	14	amod	_	_
14	gap	gap	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **gnaw** | can | a rat |  |  | it | still |  | vn chew-39.2 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **find** | infinitive | a rat *not said here* | a sized gap |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent gap=Topic |
| 3 | **size** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Rats never get through anything soft

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:222-rats-and-mice-in-the-city-and-the-elephant-and-mouse-myth:t4:o2:1
# text = Rats never get through anything soft
1	Rats	rat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	3	advmod	_	_
3	get	get	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	through	through	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	anything	anything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	3	obl	_	_
6	soft	soft	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **get** | present | Rats |  |  | anything |  |  | vn escape-51.1 «NP V PP.destination»: agent=Theme through anything=Destination |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Foam is poisonous so rats run away

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:222-rats-and-mice-in-the-city-and-the-elephant-and-mouse-myth:t4:o3:1
# text = Foam is poisonous so rats run away
1	Foam	foam	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	poisonous	poisonous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	so	so	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
5	rats	rat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
6	run	run	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
7	away	away	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Foam |  |  |  |  | poisonous *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **run away** | present | rats |  |  |  |  | away *property* | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Rats cannot climb, so a hole off the ground is always safe

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:222-rats-and-mice-in-the-city-and-the-elephant-and-mouse-myth:t4:o4:1
# text = Rats cannot climb, so a hole off the ground is always safe
1	Rats	rat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	climb	climb	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
6	so	so	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	hole	hole	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nsubj	_	_
9	off	off	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	ground	ground	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
12	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	cop	_	_
13	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	14	advmod	_	_
14	safe	safe	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **climb** | can | Rats |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | present | a hole off the ground |  |  |  |  | always, safe *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.

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- ↑ back to [Rats and mice in the city, and the elephant and mouse myth](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/222-rats-and-mice-in-the-city-and-the-elephant-and-mouse-myth/)