Thinking like an animal

Tests: 6 of 19 right · Exam: 4 of 4 right · Kind: ★★★ · Understood: 17 of 23 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72

Lesson 30 of the everyday 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 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

Charlie's cat leaves a dead mouse on the doormat in Bristol. What is the best way to understand it?

1. The cat is hungry and asking for its dinner to be put out much earlier — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. The cat wants to make him ill — no support
3. The cat is angry with him — no support
4. It is the cat's natural hunting behaviour, so he should not punish it — ✓ 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 2 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

A child in Auckland finds a featherless baby bird on the ground below a nest she can reach. What is best?

1. Leave it on the ground for the parents to feed — ← Mova's choice · score 4
2. Ask an adult to put it gently back in the nest — ✓ the right answer · score 3
3. Leave it out because its parents will reject it now — score 4
4. Take it home and feed it bread and milk — score 4

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. 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 29, line 3: «Never touch a bat, even one lying on the ground, or a dead bird or animal: tell an adult, who will call a wildlife service or rescue.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same thing acted on «dead bird» (+3); the same place «ground» (+3). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-2). The right option, 2, scored 3. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 3 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

Which is the best reason for being «a tree» when a strange dog runs at you?

1. Trees are scary to dogs — no support
2. Dogs cannot see things that stand still, so you disappear — score 5
3. It makes the owner come faster — ← Mova's choice · score 6
4. A still person gives the dog nothing to chase — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 6, against 5 for the next best. Its support: lesson 22, line 2: «Then let the dog come to you: stand a little sideways, keep your hand low and still, and let it sniff you, because sniffing is how a dog says hello.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «come» (+3); the same doer «dog» (+3). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 4 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

Why should you approach a sleeping dog by calling its name rather than touching it?

1. Sleeping dogs are always angry — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Dogs never wake up when touched — no support
3. Waking with a fright can make it snap before it knows who you are — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. It will remember the touch for the rest of its life and never trust you — 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 ✗

What would happen to a fledgling if a kind boy took it home to «save» it?

1. It would learn to fly sooner indoors — ← Mova's choice · score 4
2. Nothing, fledglings do not need parents — no support
3. It would lose its parents, who are best at feeding and teaching it — ✓ the right answer · score 4
4. It would grow faster than in the wild — no support

Why: It took the question to ask what happens next. 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 30, line 5: «For example, a fluffy young bird hopping on the lawn is usually a fledgling learning to fly; its parents are close by, still feeding it, so the kindest thing i…», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «learn» (+2); the same doer «fledgling» (+2). The right option, 3, scored 4. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 6 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

Which is true?

1. Cats bring mice home to poison their owners — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Pet cats have lost their hunting instinct after living with people for so long — no support
3. Cats hunt only when they are hungry — no support
4. A full cat may still hunt, because the instinct is separate from hunger — ✓ the right answer · 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 7 · ★★★ · right ✓

Why is a cow with a new calf more dangerous than the same cow without one?

1. Parents instinctively defend their young — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 6
2. Cows with calves are always hungry and cross — no support
3. Having a calf makes its mother see less well — no support
4. Cows charge only when they feel very tired — score 4

Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 1 with score 6, against 4 for the next best. Its support: lesson 30, line 4: «Parents of every kind defend their young, which is why a swooping magpie, a mother bear or a cow with a calf is more dangerous than the same animal at another…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «defend» (+3); the same thing acted on «young» (+3). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 8 · ★★★ · right ✓

A rattlesnake rattles and then a hiker backs away. How did the rattle help the snake?

1. It avoided a fight and kept its venom — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 8
2. It scared away its own babies — no support
3. It called other snakes nearby to come and help it — score 5
4. It caught its dinner — no support

Why: It took the question to ask what something is like. It chose option 1 with score 8, against 5 for the next best. Its support: lesson 30, line 17: «A rattlesnake's rattle is a warning that helps it avoid being stepped on and avoid a fight, so it does not waste its venom.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «avoid» (+3); the same thing acted on «fight» (+3); the same doer «rattle» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 9 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

A girl in Colorado sees two bear cubs with no mother in sight. Why is this a dangerous moment?

1. Cubs are more dangerous than adult bears, as they bite harder — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Lost cubs call wolves to help them — no support
3. Bear cubs always attack people — no support
4. The mother is probably nearby and will defend her cubs — ✓ 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 10 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

dog keeps chasing the cyclists, why

1. He's bored of walks — no support
2. Instinct to chase things that run — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. He wants a bike — ← Mova's choice · score 7
4. He thinks they are lost and wants to help — score 6

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 7, against 6 for the next best. Its support: lesson 27, line 16: «Dogs need daily walks and exercise.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «need» (+3); the same doer «dogs» (+3); a different thing acted on (counts against) (+1). The right option, 2, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 11 · ★★★ · right ✓

cat brought a mouse home, she's not even hungry

1. She wants us to cook it for her dinner — no support
2. She only does it when she's starving — no support
3. She's sick and trying to tell us something — no support
4. Cats hunt by instinct even when fed — ← 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 30, line 10: «Pet cats still have a hunting instinct even when they are well fed.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same circumstance (+4); the same doer «pet cats» (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 12 · ★★★ · right ✓

baby bird hopping on the ground, rescue it?

1. Probably a fledgling, parents still feed it — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 12
2. Yes, it's always lost — no support
3. Put it back up and never touch it — score 5
4. Take it home in a box — no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 1 with score 12, against 5 for the next best. Its support: lesson 30, line 13: «A fledgling is a young bird with feathers that has left the nest and hops on the ground while its parents still feed it.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same thing acted on «fledgling» (+5); the same doer «parents» (+4); the same action «feed» (+3). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 13 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

our dog snapped at me when he hurt his paw

1. Dogs never feel pain in their paws, so it wasn't that — ← Mova's choice · score 6
2. He was just playing — no support
3. Animals in pain may bite even people they love — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. He doesn't love you any more — no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 1 with score 6, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 20, line 9: «A dog's sense of smell is many thousands of times more sensitive than a person's.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «sense» (+3); the same doer «dog» (+3); a different thing acted on (counts against) (+1). Against it: one says «not», the other does not (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 14 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

cat's stuck behind the shed, hissing, i wanna get it out

1. Grab it quickly before it runs off again — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Poke it with a stick to make it move — no support
3. Block the gap so it cannot run away from you — no support
4. Leave it a way out and get an adult — ✓ 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 15 · ★★★ · right ✓

magpie keeps swooping at me on the way to school

1. Walk away from its nest and cover your head — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
2. Throw stones at it — no support
3. Wave your arms and shout at it — no support
4. Stand still under its tree — 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 16 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

Alex says animals only bite cos they're nasty. right?

1. Yes, only nasty animals bite — score 6
2. Yes, unless they are pets — score 5
3. Yes, some animals are just evil and bite people for fun — ← Mova's choice · score 7
4. No, they usually bite from fear or to protect something — ✓ the right answer · score 7

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 7, tied with another option at 7 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 30, line 19: «An animal in pain may bite even a person it loves.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «bite» (+3); the same doer «animal» (+3); a different thing acted on (counts against) (+1). The right option, 4, scored 7. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 17 · ★★★ · right ✓

my nan says if u touch a baby bird the mum smells u and kicks it out the nest forever

1. She is right, so never look at nests — no support
2. She is right, the mother always smells your hands and abandons it — score 1
3. That is a myth; most birds will not abandon a chick because a person touched it — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 10
4. She is right, but only for blackbirds — no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 10, against 1 for the next best. Its support: lesson 30, line 14: «Most birds will not abandon a chick because a person has touched it.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «abandon» (+3); the same doer «most birds» (+3); the same thing acted on «chick» (+2); its «because» matches the remembered cause (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 18 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

they're saying the Browns' cat brought in a dead rabbit cos they don't feed it enough

1. It must be true, only hungry cats hunt — no support
2. It means rabbits like going into houses — no support
3. Probably wrong; well-fed cats still hunt by instinct and bring their catch home — ✓ the right answer · score 5
4. It proves the cat is dangerous to people — ← Mova's choice · score 6

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 6, against 5 for the next best. Its support: lesson 23, line 6: «For example, a cat that rolls onto its back is showing it trusts you, but rubbing its belly often ends in a scratch, because most cats protect their tummy.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «show» (+3); the same doer «cat» (+3). The right option, 3, scored 5. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 19 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

Lucy's dog bit her when it was hurt and people say it's a bad dog now, pass it on?

1. Yes, because any dog that bites is bad — ← Mova's choice · score 7
2. Yes, and say it bites everyone — score 7
3. No; an animal in pain may bite even someone it loves, and the gossip is unfair — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. Yes, so nobody visits Lucy's house — no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 1 with score 7, tied with another option at 7 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 22, line 7: «A girl in Sydney ran up to a dog tied outside a shop and reached over its head; the frightened dog bit her arm, and she needed a doctor.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «bite» (+3); the same doer «frightened dog» (+3); a different thing acted on (counts against) (+1). The right option, 3, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 1 · formal language · right ✓

Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the hunting behaviour of well-fed domestic cats?

1. They have lost all hunting instinct entirely through living with people — no support
2. They retain a hunting instinct notwithstanding that they are well fed — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 2
3. They hunt only when deprived of food — no support
4. They hunt only birds and never mammals — no support

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 2 with score 2, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 30, line 10: «Pet cats still have a hunting instinct even when they are well fed.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «feed» (+4). Against it: a different thing acted on (counts against) (-2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 2 · formal language · right ✓

Identify the definition of a fledgling.

1. A bird that has been abandoned by its parents — score 10
2. An adult bird that has lost the power of flight — no support
3. A young feathered bird that has left the nest and hops upon the ground whilst its parents still feed it — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 12
4. A newly hatched bird without feathers inside the nest — score 7

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 12, against 10 for the next best. Its support: lesson 30, line 5: «For example, a fluffy young bird hopping on the lawn is usually a fledgling learning to fly; its parents are close by, still feeding it, so the kindest thing i…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same thing acted on «bird» (+5); the same doer «parents» (+4); the same action «feed» (+3). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 3 · formal language · right ✓

Select the response that is consistent with the established facts concerning animals that run away.

1. Hunting animals ignore anything that runs away — score 2
2. Hunting animals possess a strong instinct to pursue that which flees — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 11
3. Running away always causes a hunting animal to stop — score 6
4. Only prey animals give chase to things that run — score 2

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 11, against 6 for the next best. Its support: lesson 30, line 9: «Hunting animals have a strong instinct to chase things that run away.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same thing acted on «strong instinct» (+5); the same doer «hunting animals» (+4); its «because» matches the remembered cause (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 4 · formal language · right ✓

It being given that an animal is in pain, determine the conduct that may be expected of it.

1. It will seek to be lifted up and cuddled by its owner — no support
2. It will invariably remain gentle with its owner — no support
3. It may bite, even a person whom it loves — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 8
4. It will display no change whatever in its behaviour — no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 8, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 30, line 19: «An animal in pain may bite even a person it loves.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «bite» (+3); the same doer «animal» (+3); the same thing acted on «person» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

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