Arabian Nights, Sindbad the Sailor, part 26: Sindbad becomes rich on a strange island, then is buried alive with his dead wife and survives by killing newcomers.
Tests: 7 of 13 right · Exam: 2 of 4 right · Kind: ★ · Understood: 10 of 17 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72
Lesson 186 of the books course of Mova's primary school, as Mova's small model took its tests: it had read this lesson and the ones before it and learned from their exercises. Each test shows the options in the order the student saw them, its choice, the right answer, the score of every option and why it chose.
Every question of this lesson and each of its options parsed by Mova, with trees and pragmatics: the lesson's questions in the corpora.
Test 1 · ★ · wrong ✗
so the riders on that island, were they riding with no bridle, like proper wild?
- 1. nah, just bridles and some old straps — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. yeah, no bridle and no stirrups — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. yeah, no saddle and no reins at all — no support
- 4. yeah, all tack — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 2 · ★ · wrong ✗
yo what did Sindbad knock up to make the king's horse ride way better?
- 1. a blanket, quilted and red — no support
- 2. a bridle, gold-stitched and fine — no support
- 3. a saddle, wadded and gold-stitched — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. a saddle, wadded and gold-stitched, and reins for the king's own horse — ← Mova's choice · score 2
Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 4 with score 2, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 186, line 10: «What Sindbad makes: a saddle, "a bit and a pair of spurs", which the king tries and enjoys "quite delighted with the novelty".», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same thing acted on «saddle» (+2); it fills the role the question asks for (+2); the same doer «sindbad» (+1). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-3). The right option, 3, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 3 · ★ · right ✓
the king sorted him a missus, innit? who was she, like?
- 1. a sweet widow from town — no support
- 2. a lovely young queen — no support
- 3. a cook — no support
- 4. a rich and fit lady — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 5
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 5, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 186, line 12: «The king's wish: "Sindbad... wish you to end your days amongst us", so he is made to marry a rich lady.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same thing acted on «rich lady» (+4); the same property (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 4 · ★ · right ✓
when the bloke's missus died, what was the mad rule on that gaff?
- 1. the husband got buried with her — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. the wife got buried alone — no support
- 3. the husband got buried alive in the grave with her body — no support
- 4. the husband had to dig her grave and then die beside her in it — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 5 · ★ · wrong ✗
so did the king reckon the foreigners got a free pass?
- 1. nah, they had to leave town — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. yeah, they could just go home — no support
- 3. nah, if they wed there, same rule — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. nah, if they wed there, they got buried alive with the wife — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 6 · ★ · right ✓
how many loaves did they chuck in the pit with the husband?
- 1. seven little loaves — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 6
- 2. a few fresh cakes — no support
- 3. seven small loaves, a big jug of water and some dates — score 5
- 4. seven little loaves and a jug of water for the trip — score 6
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 6, tied with another option at 6 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 186, line 16: «The wife's death: Sindbad's wife falls ill and dies, and he is lowered into the pit with "seven little loaves of bread and a pitcher of water".», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same place «pit» (+3); the number the lesson gave for it (+2); the same property (+1); a different action (counts against) (+1). Against it: a different thing acted on (counts against) (-1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 7 · ★ · wrong ✗
what did the cave smell like, all bones and dead folk?
- 1. rotten bones — ← Mova's choice · score 4
- 2. bad air — score 2
- 3. a vast vault of bones — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. a vast vault of bones and rotting bodies stacked up high — no support
Why: It took the question to ask a circumstance (with what, when, how). It chose option 1 with score 4, against 2 for the next best. Its support: lesson 94, line 7: «The Woman to the Cat: «I have braided up my hair, and I have put away the magic blade-bone, and we have no more need of either friends or servants in our Cave.»», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same thing acted on «magic blade bone» (+3); it fills the role the question asks for (+3); the same circumstance (+1). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-3). The right option, 3, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 8 · ★ · right ✓
what did Sindbad do to the lady who got dropped in?
- 1. hit her hard with a rock — no support
- 2. stabbed her with a knife — score -1
- 3. knocked her out with a heavy bone and dragged her to the wall — score 0
- 4. knocked her out with a bone — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 0
Why: It took the question to ask what is done. It chose option 4 with score 0, tied with another option at 0 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 186, line 5: «In the dark cave he kills each new arrival with a huge bone, so that he can keep his bread and live.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same circumstance (+2); the same doer «sindbad» (+1). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-3). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 9 · ★ · right ✓
that bloke in the cave was real shook, why?
- 1. he was scared to death — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. he was out of his mind with terror after seeing the corpses everywhere — no support
- 3. he had been shocked to see a woman dragged down into the pit — no support
- 4. he was lost in the dark — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 10 · ★ · wrong ✗
what did Sindbad reckon he heard near him at the end?
- 1. someone whispering nearby — no support
- 2. a wolf growling softly — no support
- 3. something breathing loudly — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. something breathing loudly, like a huge beast lying just beside him — ← Mova's choice · score 4
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 4 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 183, line 17: «He binds the meat to his back with his turban and lies "upon my face" to wait for an eagle.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «lie» (+2); the same circumstance (+1); a different doer (counts against) (+1). The right option, 3, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 11 · ★ · right ✓
so what was the king's gaff like, all lush?
- 1. a city full of desirable stuff — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. a huge city with grand palaces, busy markets and many desirable goods to buy — no support
- 3. a busy port with many ships — no support
- 4. a city full of desirable stuff, markets, gardens and wide streets — no support
Why: Nothing it remembers matched the question, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 12 · ★ · wrong ✗
when Sindbad got gifts, how rich did he get, proper?
- 1. wealthy and powerful enough — no support
- 2. quite rich — no support
- 3. very wealthy and important — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. very famous and admired — ← Mova's choice · score 4
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 183, line 18: «The merchants are amazed and cross, but when Sindbad shows them his diamonds they admire him.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «merchants» (+3); the same action «admire» (+1). The right option, 3, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 13 · ★ · right ✓
why did the king's men not hurry Sindbad's wife's burial, did they?
- 1. no, slowly — no support
- 2. they hurried over the task — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 5
- 3. they went slowly — score 5
- 4. they were quite slow to act — score 5
Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 2 with score 5, tied with another option at 5 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 186, line 5: «In the dark cave he kills each new arrival with a huge bone, so that he can keep his bread and live.», reached through the cause of the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «sindbad» (+5). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 1 · formal language · wrong ✗
What is the principal reason the king bestows a wife upon Sindbad?
- 1. To honour his long voyage at sea — score 4
- 2. To secure his permanent residence among the islanders — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. To please Sindbad — no support
- 4. To keep him on the island forever — ← Mova's choice · score 5
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 5, against 4 for the next best. Its support: lesson 114, line 5: «Then an old king dies after begging faithful John to guard his son and keep him away from the portrait in the last room.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same thing acted on «king» (+4); the same action «keep» (+1). The right option, 2, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 2 · formal language · right ✓
In what manner does the king respond when Sindbad inquires after foreign persons?
- 1. With a heartless and indifferent smile — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 4
- 2. With a cruel, mocking grin and a dismissive wave, speaking as if the question were absurd — no support
- 3. With an uncaring and wicked sort of smirk — no support
- 4. With a mocking and unfeeling grin — score 4
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 4, tied with another option at 4 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 151, line 15: «fact: A Rook answers, "those rascals, men, that are the matter."», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same circumstance (+2); the same action «answer» (+1); a different thing acted on (counts against) (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 3 · formal language · wrong ✗
What is the nature of the burial custom described by the husband to Sindbad?
- 1. Burial of the dead — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. A forced burial of the living with their dead partners — no support
- 3. A compulsory interment of the living with the dead — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. A quick funeral — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 4 · formal language · right ✓
Which material provisions are placed with the husband in the pit at the moment of his descent?
- 1. Seven loaves of bread and a pitcher of water — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. Bread and water — no support
- 3. A lamp and oil — no support
- 4. Some figs, dates and a sack of grain for food — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
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