---
title: How could scientists test whether the star-nosed mole is really smel… — Odd-looking animals: shoebills, star-n… · tree and pragmatics
description: How could scientists test whether the star-nosed mole is really smelling underwater and not just touching? Test 4 of lesson 366 «Odd-looking animals: shoebills, star-nosed moles, saigas, pangolins and hagfish» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of
---

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# Test 4 · Odd-looking animals: shoebills, star-nosed moles, saigas,…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
How could scientists test whether the star-nosed mole is really smelling underwater and not just touching?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** scientists, nosed mole · **What happens:** test, nose, be, not touch

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 4 of lesson 366 «Odd-looking animals: shoebills, star-nosed moles, saigas, pangolins and hagfish» 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/366-odd-looking-animals-shoebills-star-nosed-moles-saigas-pangolins-and-hagfish/#t4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:366-odd-looking-animals-shoebills-star-nosed-moles-saigas-pangolins-and-hagfish:t4:1
# text = How could scientists test whether the star-nosed mole is really smelling underwater and not just touching?
1	How	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	4	advmod	_	_
2	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	scientists	scientist	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	test	test	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	whether	whether	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
7	star	star	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	nosed	nose	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	10	amod	_	_
10	mole	mole	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
11	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
12	really	really	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
13	smelling	smell	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	advcl	_	_
14	underwater	underwater	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
15	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
16	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	18	advmod	_	_
17	just	just	ADV	RB	_	18	advmod	_	_
18	touching	touch	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	13	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **test** | could | scientists |  |  |  |  |  | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **nose** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP.theme V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **is** | present | the nosed mole |  |  |  |  | smell, underwater *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **not** **touch** | gerund | the nosed mole *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn contiguous\_location-47.8-1 «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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Put a smell behind a screen it cannot touch and see if it still finds the food

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:366-odd-looking-animals-shoebills-star-nosed-moles-saigas-pangolins-and-hagfish:t4:o1:1
# text = Put a smell behind a screen it cannot touch and see if it still finds the food
1	Put	put	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	smell	smell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	behind	behind	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	screen	screen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
7	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
8	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	10	advmod	_	_
10	touch	touch	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	parataxis	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	see	see	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	conj	_	_
13	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	16	mark	_	_
14	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	_
15	still	still	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
16	finds	find	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	ccomp	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **put** | imperative | you *not said here* | a smell |  | a screen |  |  | vn put-9.1-2 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent smell=Theme behind screen=Destination |
| 2 | **not** **touch** | can | smell |  |  |  |  |  | vn contiguous\_location-47.8-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **see** | infinitive | smell *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V how S\_INF»: agent=Experiencer clause=Stimulus |
| 4 | **find** *a condition, not said to happen* | present | smell | the food |  |  | still |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent food=Topic |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ask the mole to point at the food with its nose

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:366-odd-looking-animals-shoebills-star-nosed-moles-saigas-pangolins-and-hagfish:t4:o2:1
# text = Ask the mole to point at the food with its nose
1	Ask	ask	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	mole	mole	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	point	point	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	xcomp	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	with	with	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
11	nose	nose	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ask** *speech: ask* | imperative | you *not said here* | the mole |  |  |  |  | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V NP whether S\_INF»: agent=Agent mole=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 2 | **point** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | the mole *not said here* |  |  | the food |  | with food's nose | vn wink-40.3.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Take all the water out of the pond and watch it dig

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:366-odd-looking-animals-shoebills-star-nosed-moles-saigas-pangolins-and-hagfish:t4:o3:1
# text = Take all the water out of the pond and watch it dig
1	Take	take	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	all	all	DET	PDT	PronType=Tot	4	det:predet	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	out	out	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	pond	pond	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	watch	watch	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	1	conj	_	_
11	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	obj	_	_
12	dig	dig	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **take** | imperative | you *not said here* | all water |  | the pond |  |  | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP PP.initial\_location»: agent=Agent water=Theme out pond=Initial\_Location |
| 2 | **watch** | infinitive | you *not said here* | water |  |  |  |  | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |
| 3 | **dig** | infinitive | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn create-26.4-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Paint its nose a new colour and see if it still likes worms

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:366-odd-looking-animals-shoebills-star-nosed-moles-saigas-pangolins-and-hagfish:t4:o4:1
# text = Paint its nose a new colour and see if it still likes worms
1	Paint	paint	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
3	nose	nose	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	colour	colour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	see	see	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	1	conj	_	_
9	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
11	still	still	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
12	likes	like	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	ccomp	_	_
13	worms	worm	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **paint** | imperative | you *not said here* | its nose |  |  |  | a new colour *obl* | vn image\_impression-25.1 «NP V NP.destination»: agent=Agent nose=Destination |
| 2 | **see** | infinitive | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V how S\_INF»: agent=Experiencer clause=Stimulus |
| 3 | **like** *a condition, not said to happen* | present | nose | worms |  |  | still |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Pivot worm=Theme |

<!-- 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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