---
title: Which of the following most accurately characterises the function of… — Algorithms, bubbles and false balance · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following most accurately characterises the function of an algorithm in determining the content of a feed? Exam question 1 of lesson 34 «Algorithms, bubbles and false balance» of the politics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of
---

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# Exam question 1 · Algorithms, bubbles and false balance

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following most accurately characterises the function of an algorithm in determining the content of a feed?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** algorithm · **What happens:** follow, characteris, determine · **To what, where:** function, content

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This is exam question 1 of lesson 34 «Algorithms, bubbles and false balance» of the politics 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/politics/34-algorithms-bubbles-and-false-balance/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:34-algorithms-bubbles-and-false-balance:e1:1
# text = Which of the following most accurately characterises the function of an algorithm in determining the content of a feed?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	4	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	following	follow	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	6	advmod	_	_
6	accurately	accurately	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	characterises	characteris	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	function	function	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	algorithm	algorithm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
13	in	in	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
14	determining	determine	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	12	acl	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	content	content	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	_
17	of	of	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	feed	feed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	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 function of a algorithm |  |  |  | accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **determine** | gerund | a algorithm *not said here* | the content of a feed |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent content=Topic |

<!-- .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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The selection of content by the user's acquaintances, who are notified of each item and approve it in advance

<!-- fold The tree, 20 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:34-algorithms-bubbles-and-false-balance:e1:o1:1
# text = The selection of content by the user's acquaintances, who are notified of each item and approve it in advance
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	selection	selection	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	content	content	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	by	by	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	user	user	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	's	's	PART	POS	_	7	case	_	_
9	acquaintances	acquaintance	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
11	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	13	nsubj	_	_
12	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	aux:pass	_	_
13	notified	notify	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	acl	_	_
14	of	of	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	16	det	_	_
16	item	item	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	_
17	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
18	approve	approve	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	13	conj	_	_
19	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	18	obj	_	_
20	in	in	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
21	advance	advance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **notify** *speech: other* | present · passive |  | the user's acquaintances |  |  |  | of each item | vn advise-37.9 «NP V NP PP.topic»: subject=Recipient of item=Topic |
| 2 | **approve** | infinitive |  | item |  | advance |  |  | vn allow-64.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Beneficiary |
| 3 | **select** |  | the user's acquaintances | content |  |  |  |  | nom selection «act transitive»: of=patient by=agent |
| 4 | **acquaint** |  | the user |  |  |  |  |  | nom acquaintance «cognition transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The random selection of content without regard to the user

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:34-algorithms-bubbles-and-false-balance:e1:o2:1
# text = The random selection of content without regard to the user
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	random	random	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	selection	selection	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	content	content	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
6	without	without	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	regard	regard	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	user	user	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **select** |  |  | content |  |  |  | without regard to the user | nom selection «act transitive»: of=patient without=obl |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The selection of content in accordance with rules applied to the user's previous viewing

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:34-algorithms-bubbles-and-false-balance:e1:o3:1
# text = The selection of content in accordance with rules applied to the user's previous viewing
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	selection	selection	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	content	content	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	accordance	accordance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
7	with	with	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	rules	rule	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nmod	_	_
9	applied	apply	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	acl	_	_
10	to	to	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	user	user	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	's	's	PART	POS	_	12	case	_	_
14	previous	previous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	viewing	viewing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **apply** | participle |  | rules *not said here* |  |  |  | to the user's previous viewing | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **select** |  |  | content in accordance |  |  |  | with rules | nom selection «act transitive»: of=patient with=obl |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The reading of the user's thoughts by artificial means

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:34-algorithms-bubbles-and-false-balance:e1:o4:1
# text = The reading of the user's thoughts by artificial means
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	reading	reading	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	user	user	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	's	's	PART	POS	_	5	case	_	_
7	thoughts	thought	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nmod	_	_
8	by	by	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	artificial	artificial	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	nmod	_	_
10	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | the reading of the user's thoughts by artificial |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **read** |  |  | the user's thoughts by artificial |  |  |  |  | nom reading «cognition transitive»: of=patient |
| 3 | **think** |  | the user |  |  |  |  |  | nom thought «cognition transitive»: poss=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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- ← previous: [Algorithms, bubbles and false balance, test 11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/politics/34-algorithms-bubbles-and-false-balance/t11/)
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