---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — The spice trade and the Indian Ocean · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the Indian Ocean prior to the arrival of the Portuguese? Exam question 2 of lesson 29 «The spice trade and the Indian Ocean» of the geography course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and o
---

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# Exam question 2 · The spice trade and the Indian Ocean

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the Indian Ocean prior to the arrival of the Portuguese?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Portuguese · **What happens:** follow, characteris, arrive · **To what, where:** Indian Ocean

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 29 «The spice trade and the Indian Ocean» of the geography 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/geography/29-the-spice-trade-and-the-indian-ocean/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:29-the-spice-trade-and-the-indian-ocean:e2:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the Indian Ocean prior to the arrival of the Portuguese?
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	11	det	_	_
10	Indian	Indian	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	Ocean	Ocean	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
12	prior	prior	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|ExtPos=ADP	15	case	_	_
13	to	to	ADP	IN	_	12	fixed	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	arrival	arrival	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
16	of	of	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	Portuguese	Portuguese	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	15	nmod	_	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 Indian Ocean |  |  |  | of the following statements; prior the arrival of the Portuguese; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **arrive** |  | the Portuguese |  |  |  |  |  | nom arrival «act intransitive»: of=agent |

<!-- .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 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
An extensive commercial world linking East Africa, Arabia, India, South-East Asia and China

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:29-the-spice-trade-and-the-indian-ocean:e2:o1:1
# text = An extensive commercial world linking East Africa, Arabia, India, South-East Asia and China
1	An	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	extensive	extensive	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
3	commercial	commercial	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	world	world	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	linking	link	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	4	acl	_	_
6	East	East	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	Africa	Africa	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
9	Arabia	Arabia	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	16	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
11	India	India	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
13	South	South	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	East	East	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	16	compound	_	_
16	Asia	Asia	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
17	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
18	China	China	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	16	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **link** | gerund | a extensive commercial world *not said here* | East Asia and China |  |  |  |  | vn mix-22.1-2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent asia=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A sea navigated exclusively by vessels of Roman origin

```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:29-the-spice-trade-and-the-indian-ocean:e2:o2:1
# text = A sea navigated exclusively by vessels of Roman origin
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	navigated	navigate	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	acl	_	_
4	exclusively	exclusively	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	by	by	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	vessels	vessel	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	Roman	roman	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	origin	origin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **navigate** | participle |  | a sea *not said here* |  |  |  | by vessels of Roman origin; exclusively *property* | vn nonvehicle-51.4.2-1 «NP.agent V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
An expanse of sea traversed by no merchant vessels whatsoever prior to the year 1498

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:29-the-spice-trade-and-the-indian-ocean:e2:o3:1
# text = An expanse of sea traversed by no merchant vessels whatsoever prior to the year 1498
1	An	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	expanse	expanse	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	traversed	traverse	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	acl	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	9	det	_	_
8	merchant	merchant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	vessels	vessel	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
10	whatsoever	whatsoever	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
11	prior	prior	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|ExtPos=ADP	14	case	_	_
12	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	fixed	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	year	year	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
15	1498	1498	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	14	flat	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **traverse** | participle |  | a expanse of sea prior the year *not said here* |  |  |  | by no merchant vessels | vn contiguous\_location-47.8 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A region closed to commerce by the decree of the Ming emperor

```conllu
# sent_id = question:geography:29-the-spice-trade-and-the-indian-ocean:e2:o4:1
# text = A region closed to commerce by the decree of the Ming emperor
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	region	region	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	closed	close	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	acl	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	commerce	commerce	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	advcl	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	decree	decree	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	Ming	Ming	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	12	compound	_	_
12	emperor	emperor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **close** | participle |  | a region *not said here* |  |  |  | by the decree of the Ming emperor | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **decree** |  | the Ming emperor |  |  |  |  |  | nom decree «communication intransitive»: of=agent |

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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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