Animals and "what animal are you?"
Tests: 7 of 11 right · Exam: 2 of 4 right · Kind: ★★ · Understood: 11 of 15 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72
Lesson 19 of the chinese street 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. The lesson itself, sentence by sentence with trees and pragmatics: the lesson in the corpora.
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 · ★★ · right ✓
lol Lín's a Rat in the zodiac, that's an insult innit?
- 1. Yes, rats are always an insult, everyone knows — no support
- 2. No, Rat means "boss" — no support
- 3. Yes, it means he's dirty — no support
- 4. No, the Rat is clever and comes first — ← 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 19, line 17: «The twelve zodiac animals in order are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig; the Rat comes first and is thought cle…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «come» (+2); the same doer «rat» (+2); the same property (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 2 · ★★ · right ✓
Your friend was born on 10 January. Lín says his animal is from the year before. Why?
- 1. Animals change on 1 January — no support
- 2. Lín just got it wrong, the animal changes on 1 January — no support
- 3. The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not 1 January — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 4
- 4. January babies have no animal — no support
Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 3 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 19, line 18: «The zodiac year begins at Chinese New Year (late January or February), so someone born in early January belongs to the year before.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «begin» (+2); the same doer «zodiac year» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 3 · ★★ · right ✓
You meant "cat" but your voice rose: "máo". What might Lín hear?
- 1. A tiger — no support
- 2. A cat, nothing changes — no support
- 3. A panda — no support
- 4. Fur, or the 10p coin — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 5
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 4 with score 5, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 19, line 7: «"māo" (high and level) means cat; máo (rising) means fur, and also the "10p" coin of Chinese money.», reached through a sentence linked to the one the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+4); the same thing acted on «fur» (+3). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-1); a different doer (counts against) (-1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 4 · ★★ · wrong ✗
Lín says "tài niú le!" when you do a kickflip. Is he calling you a cow?
- 1. No, it means "too slow" — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Yes, it means "you're fat" — no support
- 3. Yes, it means "you're a cow" — no support
- 4. No, it's slang for "awesome!" — ✓ the right answer · 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 · ★★ · right ✓
In a British cartoon a dragon burns a village. Lín's granny says Chinese dragons aren't like that. What's she right about?
- 1. Chinese dragons are even scarier and burn cities — no support
- 2. Chinese dragons live only in deep caves — no support
- 3. Chinese dragons are always small — no support
- 4. Chinese dragons are lucky, wise rain-bringers — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 8
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 8, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 19, line 5: «Chinese dragons, lóng, are lucky and wise and bring rain — not the fire-breathing baddies of English stories.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «chinese dragons» (+4); the same property (+2); the same light verb (be, have, do, get, go) (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 6 · ★★ · right ✓
At the New Year dinner you start to flip the fish to get the meat underneath. What might Lín's granny say?
- 1. Throw the bones on the floor — no support
- 2. Flip it twice for double luck — no support
- 3. Eat the head first — no support
- 4. Some families don't flip it, like a boat capsizing — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 10
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 4 with score 10, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 19, line 14: «"yú" (rising) means fish; it sounds like the word for "surplus", so a whole fish is eaten at New Year for "plenty every year", and some families never flip the…», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same circumstance (+4); the same doer «families» (+3); the same action «flip over» (+2); a different thing acted on (counts against) (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 7 · ★★ · right ✓
A stranger calls Lín a dog in an angry voice. How serious is that?
- 1. It's a real insult — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. It's a compliment — no support
- 3. It's a friendly joke — no support
- 4. It's a zodiac question — 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 8 · ★★ · wrong ✗
Lín mixes up tùzi (falling) and tǔ (dipping). What did he nearly say?
- 1. Pig instead of rabbit — ← Mova's choice · score 5
- 2. Soil instead of rabbit — ✓ the right answer · score 5
- 3. Monkey instead of rabbit — score 5
- 4. Moon instead of rabbit — score 5
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 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 17, line 11: «"jǐnzhāng" means nervous or tense, before a test or a race; a close match can also be jǐnzhāng, and friends say "bié jǐnzhāng, jiāyóu!".», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «friends» (+3); the same action «say» (+2). The right option, 2, scored 5. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 9 · ★★ · wrong ✗
Lín is a Tiger. In the zodiac order, which animal's year comes right after the Tiger?
- 1. Rat — ← Mova's choice · score 12
- 2. Rabbit — ✓ the right answer · score 8
- 3. Snake — score 8
- 4. Dragon — score 8
Why: It took the question to ask a circumstance (with what, when, how). It chose option 1 with score 12, against 8 for the next best. Its support: lesson 19, line 2: «The twelve animals go in order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig; the year turns at Chinese New Year, not on 1 Jan…», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+6); the same place «order» (+4); the same circumstance (+4). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-2). The right option, 2, scored 8. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 10 · ★★ · right ✓
Lín swears lǎohǔ means "old tiger" because lǎo means old. Is that right?
- 1. Yes, young tigers are xiǎohǔ only — no support
- 2. No, lǎohǔ is just "tiger" — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 8
- 3. No, it means "old mouse" — score 3
- 4. Yes, it's an old tiger only — no support
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 8, against 3 for the next best. Its support: lesson 19, line 9: «"lǎohǔ" means tiger and "lǎoshǔ" means mouse or rat; the lǎo (old) in them does not mean old.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «lǎohǔ» (+4); the same thing acted on «tiger» (+4). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 11 · ★★ · wrong ✗
Which pair both start with lǎo but have nothing to do with being old?
- 1. lóng and niú — ← Mova's choice · score 6
- 2. xióngmāo and hóuzi — score 6
- 3. lǎohǔ and lǎoshǔ — ✓ the right answer · score 6
- 4. tùzi and zhū — score 6
Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. 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 19, line 3: «Animal names are full of surprises: xióngmāo, panda, is "bear-cat"; lǎohǔ, tiger, and lǎoshǔ, mouse, both start with lǎo, "old", but nothing about them is old.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same circumstance (+4); the same action «start» (+2). The right option, 3, scored 6. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 1 · formal language · wrong ✗
Identify the literal sense of the Mandarin term "xióngmāo", denoting the giant panda.
- 1. Spotted bear — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Great cat — no support
- 3. Bear-cat — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. Cat-bear — 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 2 · formal language · right ✓
It is given that an individual was born on the fifth day of January. Select the statement consistent with the established conventions of the Chinese zodiac.
- 1. He may belong to the preceding year's animal, the year turning at Chinese New Year — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. The individual is assigned no animal — no support
- 3. The animal is determined by the month of birth alone — no support
- 4. He invariably belongs to the new year's animal, the year turning on the first of January — 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 3 · formal language · right ✓
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the dragon (lóng) in Chinese tradition?
- 1. It is a minor domestic animal — score 6
- 2. It is a creature of ill omen — score 6
- 3. It is auspicious and wise, associated with bringing rain — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 7
- 4. It is a malevolent fire-breathing beast that destroys villages — score 6
Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 3 with score 7, against 6 for the next best. Its support: lesson 19, line 15: «"lóng" (rising) means dragon; Chinese dragons are lucky, wise and bring rain.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+3); the same doer «chinese dragons» (+2); the same circumstance (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 4 · formal language · wrong ✗
Ascertain the reason for which a whole fish is customarily served at the New Year meal.
- 1. The word yú is homophonous with "surplus", betokening plenty each year — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. Fish is prescribed by law at New Year — ← Mova's choice · score 6
- 3. Fish is the sole meat available in winter — no support
- 4. The fish represents the Rat of the zodiac — no support
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 6, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 19, line 4: «Tones turn animals into other things: māo (cat) is high and level, but máo rising is fur; niú (cow) is also slang for "awesome!"; yú (fish) sounds like the wor…», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same thing acted on «whole fish» (+4); the same circumstance (+4). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-2). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/chinese-street/19-animals-and-your-zodiac-animal/