---
title: An octopus at the aquarium opens a jar with its arms while its eyes… — The brain and nerves · tree and pragmatics
description: An octopus at the aquarium opens a jar with its arms while its eyes look elsewhere. How can its arms be so clever? Test 9 · ★★★ of lesson 68 «The brain and nerves» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choic
---

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# Test 9 · ★★★ · The brain and nerves

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
An octopus at the aquarium opens a jar with its arms while its eyes look elsewhere. How can its arms be so clever?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** octopus, eyes, arms · **What happens:** open, look, be · **To what, where:** jar

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 · ★★★ of lesson 68 «The brain and nerves» 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/68-the-brain-and-nerves/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* An octopus at the aquarium opens a jar with its arms while its eyes look elsewhere.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:68-the-brain-and-nerves:t9:1
# text = An octopus at the aquarium opens a jar with its arms while its eyes look elsewhere.
1	An	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	octopus	octopus	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	at	at	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	aquarium	aquarium	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
6	opens	open	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	jar	jar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
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	arms	arm	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nmod	_	_
12	while	while	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
13	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	14	nmod:poss	_	_
14	eyes	eye	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	nsubj	_	_
15	look	look	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	advcl	_	_
16	elsewhere	elsewhere	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **open** | present | a octopus at the aquarium | a jar |  |  |  | with octopus's arms | vn establish-55.5-1 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent jar=Patient with arm=Instrument |
| 2 | **look** | present | octopus's eyes |  |  |  |  | elsewhere *property* | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Stimulus |

<!-- .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:* How can its arms be so clever?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:68-the-brain-and-nerves:t9:2
# text = How can its arms be so clever?
1	How	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	7	advmod	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
3	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
4	arms	arm	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
5	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	cop	_	_
6	so	so	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	clever	clever	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | can | octopus's arms |  |  |  |  | clever *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The octopus has tiny eyes on its arm tips

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:68-the-brain-and-nerves:t9:o1:1
# text = The octopus has tiny eyes on its arm tips
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	octopus	octopus	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	tiny	tiny	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	eyes	eye	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	on	on	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
8	arm	arm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	tips	tip	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | the octopus | tiny eyes |  | octopus's arm tips |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent eye=Patient |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Most of its nerve cells are in its arms, which can act partly on their own

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:68-the-brain-and-nerves:t9:o2:1
# text = Most of its nerve cells are in its arms, which can act partly on their own
1	Most	most	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	9	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
3	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
4	nerve	nerve	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	cells	cell	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	nmod	_	_
6	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	arms	arm	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
11	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	13	nsubj	_	_
12	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	13	aux	_	_
13	act	act	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	acl:relcl	_	_
14	partly	partly	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
15	on	on	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	17	nmod:poss	_	_
17	own	own	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Most of its nerve cells |  |  | its arms |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **act** | can | its arms |  |  | arms's own |  | partly *property* | vn act-114-1-1 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent on own=Eventuality |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is trained by a robot in the tank

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:68-the-brain-and-nerves:t9:o3:1
# text = It is trained by a robot in the tank
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	trained	train	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	by	by	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	robot	robot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	tank	tank	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **train** | present · passive | a robot | It |  | the tank |  |  | vn hire-13.5.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Each arm has a full second brain just like ours, so it has eight extra brains

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:68-the-brain-and-nerves:t9:o4:1
# text = Each arm has a full second brain just like ours, so it has eight extra brains
1	Each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	2	det	_	_
2	arm	arm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
5	full	full	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
6	second	second	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	7	amod	_	_
7	brain	brain	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
8	just	just	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
9	like	like	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	ours	our	PRON	PRP	Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
12	so	so	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
13	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	_
14	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
15	eight	eight	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	17	nummod	_	_
16	extra	extra	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	amod	_	_
17	brains	brain	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | each arm | a full second brain |  |  |  | like ours | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent brain=Patient |
| 2 | **have** | present | arm | eight extra brains |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent brain=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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