---
title: Ascertain the manner in which the diving bell spider obtains air whi… — Animal builders: spiders' webs and silk · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the manner in which the diving bell spider obtains air whilst living beneath the surface of a pond. Exam question 4 of lesson 244 «Animal builders: spiders' webs and silk» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each op
---

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# Exam question 4 · Animal builders: spiders' webs and silk

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the manner in which the diving bell spider obtains air whilst living beneath the surface of a pond.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you, diving bell spider · **What happens:** ascertain, obtain, live · **To what, where:** manner, air, surface

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 244 «Animal builders: spiders' webs and silk» 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/244-animal-builders-spiders-webs-and-silk/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:244-animal-builders-spiders-webs-and-silk:e4:1
# text = Ascertain the manner in which the diving bell spider obtains air whilst living beneath the surface of a pond.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	manner	manner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	10	obl	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
7	diving	diving	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
8	bell	bell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	spider	spider	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	obtains	obtain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	acl:relcl	_	_
11	air	air	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
12	whilst	whilst	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
13	living	live	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	10	advcl	_	_
14	beneath	beneath	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	surface	surface	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	_
17	of	of	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	pond	pond	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ascertain** | imperative | you *not said here* | the manner |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent manner=Topic |
| 2 | **obtain** | present | the diving bell spider | air |  | the manner |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset air=Theme |
| 3 | **live** | gerund | the diving bell spider *not said here* |  |  | the surface of a pond |  |  | vn exist-47.1-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme beneath surface=Location |

<!-- .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 -->
It abstains from breathing for the duration of its life

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:244-animal-builders-spiders-webs-and-silk:e4:o1:1
# text = It abstains from breathing for the duration of its life
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	abstains	abstain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	from	from	SCONJ	IN	_	4	mark	_	_
4	breathing	breathe	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	duration	duration	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	life	life	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **abstain** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn refrain-69 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **breathe** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | for the duration of duration's life | vn breathe-40.1.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It respires through a hollow plant stem fixed above the water at the surface

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:244-animal-builders-spiders-webs-and-silk:e4:o2:1
# text = It respires through a hollow plant stem fixed above the water at the surface
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	respires	respire	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	through	through	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
5	hollow	hollow	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
6	plant	plant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	stem	stem	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
8	fixed	fix	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	acl	_	_
9	above	above	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
12	at	at	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	surface	surface	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **respire** | present | It |  |  | a hollow plant stem |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **fix** | participle |  | a hollow plant stem *not said here* |  | the water |  | at the surface | vn price-54.4 «NP V NP PP.value»: agent=Agent at surface=Value |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It extracts air from the water through gills in the manner of a fish

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:244-animal-builders-spiders-webs-and-silk:e4:o3:1
# text = It extracts air from the water through gills in the manner of a fish
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	extracts	extract	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	air	air	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
4	from	from	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
7	through	through	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	gills	gill	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	manner	manner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	fish	fish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **extract** | present | It | air |  | the water |  | through gills; in the manner of a fish | vn remove-10.1 «NP V NP PP»: agent=Agent air=Theme from water=Initial\_Location |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It maintains a tent of silk replenished with air conveyed from the surface

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:244-animal-builders-spiders-webs-and-silk:e4:o4:1
# text = It maintains a tent of silk replenished with air conveyed from the surface
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	maintains	maintain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	tent	tent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	silk	silk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
7	replenished	replenish	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl	_	_
8	with	with	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	air	air	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
10	conveyed	convey	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	acl	_	_
11	from	from	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	surface	surface	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **maintain** | present | It | a tent of silk |  |  |  |  | vn declare-29.4-1 «NP V NP ADJ»: agent=Agent tent=Theme |
| 2 | **replenish** | participle |  | silk *not said here* |  |  |  | with air | vn fill-9.8 «NP V NP PP.theme»: agent=Agent with air=Theme |
| 3 | **convey** | participle |  | air *not said here* |  | the surface |  |  | vn send-11.1 «NP V NP PP.initial\_location»: agent=Agent from surface=Initial\_Location |

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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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