def span_in_span(span1, span2):
    """ Tests if span1 is included in span2. Spans are expected to be 2-tuples of (start, end) character offsets."""
    # span1
    start1 = span1[0]
    end1 = span1[1]
    # span2
    start2 = span2[0]
    end2 = span2[1]
    # check if span2 includes span1 or not
    return (start2 <= start1) and (end2 >= end1)