---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Turtles and tortoises · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the relation of a turtle's shell to its skeleton? Exam question 1 of lesson 31 «Turtles and tortoises» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's ch
---

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# Exam question 1 · Turtles and tortoises

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the relation of a turtle's shell to its skeleton?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** follow, characteris · **To what, where:** relation

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 31 «Turtles and tortoises» 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/31-turtles-and-tortoises/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:31-turtles-and-tortoises:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the relation of a turtle's shell to its skeleton?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	8	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	following	follow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	amod	_	_
5	statements	statement	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	_
6	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	7	advmod	_	_
7	accurately	accurately	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	characterises	characteris	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	relation	relation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	turtle	turtle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	's	's	PART	POS	_	13	case	_	_
15	shell	shell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
16	to	to	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	18	nmod:poss	_	_
18	skeleton	skeleton	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **follow** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **characteris** | present |  | the relation of a turtle's shell |  |  |  | of the following statements; to shell's skeleton; accurately *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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The shell is acquired from another animal and may be exchanged for a larger one

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:31-turtles-and-tortoises:e1:o1:1
# text = The shell is acquired from another animal and may be exchanged for a larger one
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	shell	shell	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	acquired	acquire	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	from	from	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	another	another	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	7	det	_	_
7	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
9	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
10	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	aux:pass	_	_
11	exchanged	exchange	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	conj	_	_
12	for	for	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
14	larger	large	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	15	amod	_	_
15	one	one	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **acquire** | present · passive |  | the shell |  |  |  | from another animal | vn obtain-13.5.2-1 «NP V NP PP.source»: subject=Theme from animal=Source |
| 2 | **exchange** | may · passive |  |  |  |  |  | for a larger one | vn exchange-13.6.1 «NP V NP PP.co-theme»: for one=Co-Theme |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The shell is a detachable covering shed annually

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:31-turtles-and-tortoises:e1:o2:1
# text = The shell is a detachable covering shed annually
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	shell	shell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	detachable	detachable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	covering	covering	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	shed	shed	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl	_	_
8	annually	annually	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the shell | a detachable covering |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **shed** | participle |  | a detachable covering *not said here* |  |  |  | annually *property* | vn substance\_emission-43.4-1 «NP V»: agent=Source |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The shell is joined to the ribs and backbone and cannot be removed

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:31-turtles-and-tortoises:e1:o3:1
# text = The shell is joined to the ribs and backbone and cannot be removed
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	shell	shell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	joined	join	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	ribs	rib	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	backbone	backbone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
11	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	14	advmod	_	_
13	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	14	aux:pass	_	_
14	removed	remove	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 | **join** | present · passive |  | the shell |  |  |  | to the ribs and backbone | vn mix-22.1-2-1 «NP V NP PP.co-patient»: subject=Patient to rib=Co-Patient |
| 2 | **not** **remove** | can · passive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn fire-10.10 «NP V NP» |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The shell is a secretion bearing no relation to the skeleton

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:31-turtles-and-tortoises:e1:o4:1
# text = The shell is a secretion bearing no relation to the skeleton
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	shell	shell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	secretion	secretion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	bearing	bear	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	acl	_	_
7	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	8	det	_	_
8	relation	relation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	skeleton	skeleton	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the shell | a secretion |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **bear** | gerund | a secretion *not said here* | no relation |  |  |  | to the skeleton | vn birth-28.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent relation=Patient |

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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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