---
title: A cobra spreads its hood and hisses at a dog. Why warn instead of bi… — Defences: venom in snakes, jellyfish,… · tree and pragmatics
description: A cobra spreads its hood and hisses at a dog. Why warn instead of biting at once? Test 8 of lesson 246 «Defences: venom in snakes, jellyfish, scorpions and the platypus» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's
---

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# Test 8 · Defences: venom in snakes, jellyfish, scorpions and the pl…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A cobra spreads its hood and hisses at a dog. Why warn instead of biting at once?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** cobra, you · **What happens:** spread, hiss, warn, bite · **To what, where:** hood

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 of lesson 246 «Defences: venom in snakes, jellyfish, scorpions and the platypus» 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/246-defences-venom-in-snakes-jellyfish-scorpions-and-the-platypus/#t8).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A cobra spreads its hood and hisses at a dog.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:246-defences-venom-in-snakes-jellyfish-scorpions-and-the-platypus:t8:1
# text = A cobra spreads its hood and hisses at a dog.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	cobra	cobra	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	spreads	spread	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	hood	hood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	hisses	hiss	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
8	at	at	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **spread** | present | a cobra | cobra's hood |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location hood=Theme |
| 2 | **hiss** | present | a cobra *not said here* |  |  |  |  | at a dog | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme at dog=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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* Why warn instead of biting at once?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:246-defences-venom-in-snakes-jellyfish-scorpions-and-the-platypus:t8:2
# text = Why warn instead of biting at once?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	2	advmod	_	_
2	warn	warn	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	instead	instead	ADV	RB	ExtPos=SCONJ	5	mark	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	3	fixed	_	_
5	biting	bite	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **warn** *speech: warn* | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn advise-37.9-1 «NP V PP.topic»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **bite** | gerund | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn swat-18.2 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent at once=Patient |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A fight is risky and venom is costly to make

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:246-defences-venom-in-snakes-jellyfish-scorpions-and-the-platypus:t8:o1:1
# text = A fight is risky and venom is costly to make
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	fight	fight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	risky	risky	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
6	venom	venom	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
8	costly	costly	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
9	to	to	PART	TO	_	10	mark	_	_
10	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | a fight |  |  |  |  | risky *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | venom |  |  |  |  | costly *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **make** | to-infinitive | venom *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is asking the dog to play a game of chase

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:246-defences-venom-in-snakes-jellyfish-scorpions-and-the-platypus:t8:o2:1
# text = It is asking the dog to play a game of chase
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	asking	ask	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	play	play	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	game	game	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	chase	chase	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ask** *speech: ask* | present · progressive | It |  | the dog |  |  |  | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V NP whether S\_INF»: agent=Agent dog=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 2 | **play** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  | a game of chase |  |  |  |  | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent game=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Cobras have no venom at all

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:246-defences-venom-in-snakes-jellyfish-scorpions-and-the-platypus:t8:o3:1
# text = Cobras have no venom at all
1	Cobras	cobra	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	4	det	_	_
4	venom	venom	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	at	at	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	4	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | Cobras | no venom |  | all |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent venom=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It wants the dog to follow it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:246-defences-venom-in-snakes-jellyfish-scorpions-and-the-platypus:t8:o4:1
# text = It wants the dog to follow it
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	wants	want	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	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	follow	follow	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
7	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **want** | present | It | the dog |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **follow** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | the dog *not said here* | dog |  |  |  |  | vn chase-51.6 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=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.

<!-- /div -->

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