---
title: In a cartoon like Tom and Jerry, a baby bird falls out of its nest,… — Defences: tricks and myths: playing de… · tree and pragmatics
description: In a cartoon like Tom and Jerry, a baby bird falls out of its nest, the cat touches it, and the mother flies away for good. What is true? Test 5 of lesson 249 «Defences: tricks and myths: playing dead, dropping tails, ink, and do ostriches bury their heads?» of the biology course of Mova's primary s
---

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# Test 5 · Defences: tricks and myths: playing dead, dropping tails,…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In a cartoon like Tom and Jerry, a baby bird falls out of its nest, the cat touches it, and the mother flies away for good. What is true?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** baby bird, cat, mother · **What happens:** fall, touch, fly away, be · **To what, where:** cartoon, bird

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This is test 5 of lesson 249 «Defences: tricks and myths: playing dead, dropping tails, ink, and do ostriches bury their heads?» 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/249-defences-tricks-and-myths-playing-dead-dropping-tails-ink-and-ostriches/#t5).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* In a cartoon like Tom and Jerry, a baby bird falls out of its nest, the cat touches it, and the mother flies away for good.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:249-defences-tricks-and-myths-playing-dead-dropping-tails-ink-and-ostriches:t5:1
# text = In a cartoon like Tom and Jerry, a baby bird falls out of its nest, the cat touches it, and the mother flies away for good.
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	cartoon	cartoon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	_
4	like	like	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	Tom	Tom	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	Jerry	Jerry	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	baby	baby	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	bird	bird	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
12	falls	fall	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
13	out	out	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
14	of	of	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	16	nmod:poss	_	_
16	nest	nest	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	20	punct	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	nsubj	_	_
20	touches	touch	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	conj	_	_
21	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	20	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	26	punct	_	_
23	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	26	cc	_	_
24	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	25	det	_	_
25	mother	mother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	26	nsubj	_	_
26	flies	fly	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	conj	_	_
27	away	away	ADV	RB	_	26	advmod	_	_
28	for	for	ADP	IN	_	29	case	_	_
29	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	26	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
30	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	12	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fall** | present | a baby bird |  |  | a cartoon like Tom and Jerry |  | out bird's nest | vn occur-48.3 «NP V PP»: agent=Theme in cartoon=Location |
| 2 | **touch** | present | the cat | bird |  |  |  |  | vn contiguous\_location-47.8-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme it=Co-Theme |
| 3 | **fly away** | present | the mother |  |  |  |  | for good; away *property* | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V»: agent=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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* What is true?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:249-defences-tricks-and-myths-playing-dead-dropping-tails-ink-and-ostriches:t5:2
# text = What is true?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	true	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | true *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The chick must be raised by the cat

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:249-defences-tricks-and-myths-playing-dead-dropping-tails-ink-and-ostriches:t5:o1:1
# text = The chick must be raised by the cat
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	chick	chick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	raised	raise	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **raise** | must · passive | the cat | the chick |  |  |  |  | vn put\_direction-9.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The mother always leaves for ever if a person has touched it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:249-defences-tricks-and-myths-playing-dead-dropping-tails-ink-and-ostriches:t5:o2:1
# text = The mother always leaves for ever if a person has touched it
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	mother	mother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	4	advmod	_	_
4	leaves	leave	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	ever	ever	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	4	obl	_	_
7	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
10	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
11	touched	touch	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	4	advcl	_	_
12	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **leave** | present | the mother |  |  |  |  | always *property* | vn fulfilling-13.4.1 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent for ever=Recipient |
| 2 | **touch** *a condition, not said to happen* | present · perfect | a person | it |  |  |  |  | vn contiguous\_location-47.8-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme it=Co-Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The mother can smell the cat for years

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:249-defences-tricks-and-myths-playing-dead-dropping-tails-ink-and-ostriches:t5:o3:1
# text = The mother can smell the cat for years
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	mother	mother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	smell	smell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **smell** | can | the mother | the cat |  |  | year |  | vn see-30.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer cat=Stimulus |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Most birds will not abandon a chick because it was touched

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:249-defences-tricks-and-myths-playing-dead-dropping-tails-ink-and-ostriches:t5:o4:1
# text = Most birds will not abandon a chick because it was touched
1	Most	most	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	2	amod	_	_
2	birds	bird	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
3	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
5	abandon	abandon	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	chick	chick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj:pass	_	_
10	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	11	aux:pass	_	_
11	touched	touch	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **abandon** | future | Most birds | a chick |  |  |  |  | vn leave-51.2 «NP V NP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme chick=Source |
| 2 | **touch** | past · passive |  | chick |  |  |  |  | vn contiguous\_location-47.8-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Co-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.

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