---
title: Identify the means by which the gull is enabled to consume sea water… — Gulls: chip thieves, rain dances and s… · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the means by which the gull is enabled to consume sea water without harm. Exam question 1 of lesson 223 «Gulls: chip thieves, rain dances and salty water» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choic
---

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# Exam question 1 · Gulls: chip thieves, rain dances and salty water

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the means by which the gull is enabled to consume sea water without harm.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you, the, gull · **What happens:** identify, mean, enable, consume · **To what, where:** gull, sea water · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 223 «Gulls: chip thieves, rain dances and salty water» 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/223-gulls-chip-thieves-rain-dances-and-salty-water/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:223-gulls-chip-thieves-rain-dances-and-salty-water:e1:1
# text = Identify the means by which the gull is enabled to consume sea water without harm.
1	Identify	identify	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	nsubj	_	_
3	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	ccomp	_	_
4	by	by	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	9	obl	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	gull	gull	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj:pass	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux:pass	_	_
9	enabled	enable	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	ccomp	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	11	mark	_	_
11	consume	consume	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	xcomp	_	_
12	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	compound	_	_
13	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
14	without	without	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	harm	harm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	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 |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **enable** | present · passive |  | the gull |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **consume** | to-infinitive | the gull *not said here* | sea water |  |  |  | without harm | vn consume-66 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent water=Asset |

<!-- .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 feathers absorb the salt from the water before it is swallowed

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:223-gulls-chip-thieves-rain-dances-and-salty-water:e1:o1:1
# text = The feathers absorb the salt from the water before it is swallowed
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	feathers	feather	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	absorb	absorb	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	salt	salt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	from	from	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
9	before	before	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj:pass	_	_
11	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	aux:pass	_	_
12	swallowed	swallow	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **absorb** | present | the feathers | the salt |  | the water |  |  | vn absorb-39.8 «NP V NP PP.source»: agent=Goal salt=Theme from water=Source |
| 2 | **swallow** | present · passive |  | salt |  |  |  |  | vn gobble-39.3 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Glands situated above the eyes remove the salt, which is discharged through the nostrils

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:223-gulls-chip-thieves-rain-dances-and-salty-water:e1:o2:1
# text = Glands situated above the eyes remove the salt, which is discharged through the nostrils
1	Glands	gland	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
2	situated	situate	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	1	acl	_	_
3	above	above	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	eyes	eye	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
6	remove	remove	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	salt	salt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
10	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	12	nsubj:pass	_	_
11	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	aux:pass	_	_
12	discharged	discharge	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	acl:relcl	_	_
13	through	through	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	nostrils	nostril	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **situate** | participle |  | Glands *not said here* |  | the eyes |  |  | vn put-9.1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent above eye=Destination |
| 2 | **remove** | present | Glands | the salt |  |  |  |  | vn fire-10.10 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent salt=Theme |
| 3 | **discharge** | present · passive |  | the salt |  | the nostrils |  |  | vn banish-10.2 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The salt is expelled exclusively through the feet

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:223-gulls-chip-thieves-rain-dances-and-salty-water:e1:o3:1
# text = The salt is expelled exclusively through the feet
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	salt	salt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	expelled	expel	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	exclusively	exclusively	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
6	through	through	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	feet	foot	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **expel** | present · passive |  | the salt |  | the feet |  | exclusively *property* | vn banish-10.2 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The salt is retained within the stomach and is never absorbed

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:223-gulls-chip-thieves-rain-dances-and-salty-water:e1:o4:1
# text = The salt is retained within the stomach and is never absorbed
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	salt	salt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	retained	retain	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	within	within	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	stomach	stomach	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
9	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	aux:pass	_	_
10	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	11	advmod	_	_
11	absorbed	absorb	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **retain** | present · passive |  | the salt |  |  |  | within the stomach | tree rules |
| 2 | **not** **absorb** | present · passive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn absorb-39.8 «NP V NP» |

<!-- div src -->

**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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