---
title: Identify the principal reason for the black and white colouration of… — The penguins of Madagascar: real pengu… · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal reason for the black and white colouration of the penguin. Exam question 2 of lesson 129 «The penguins of Madagascar: real penguins and chimps» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's ch
---

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# Exam question 2 · The penguins of Madagascar: real penguins and chimps

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal reason for the black and white colouration of the penguin.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** identify · **To what, where:** principal reason

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 129 «The penguins of Madagascar: real penguins and chimps» of the biology 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/biology/129-madagascar-real-penguins-and-chimps/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:129-madagascar-real-penguins-and-chimps:e2:1
# text = Identify the principal reason for the black and white colouration of the penguin.
1	Identify	identify	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	principal	principal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
7	black	black	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	white	white	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	conj	_	_
10	colouration	colouration	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	penguin	penguin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **identify** | imperative | you *not said here* | the principal reason |  |  |  | for the black colouration of the penguin | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent reason=Theme |

<!-- .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 -->
It permits penguins to perceive one another in darkness

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:129-madagascar-real-penguins-and-chimps:e2:o1:1
# text = It permits penguins to perceive one another in darkness
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	permits	permit	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	penguins	penguin	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	perceive	perceive	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
6	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	5	obj	_	_
7	another	another	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	6	fixed	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	darkness	darkness	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **permit** | present | It | penguins |  |  |  |  | vn allow-64.1-1 «NP V NP S»: agent=Causer penguin=Beneficiary clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **perceive** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  | one |  | darkness |  |  | vn see-30.1-1 «NP V S»: agent=Experiencer one=Stimulus |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It serves to distinguish the males, which are black, from the females, which are white

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:129-madagascar-real-penguins-and-chimps:e2:o2:1
# text = It serves to distinguish the males, which are black, from the females, which are white
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	serves	serve	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	distinguish	distinguish	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	males	male	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	10	nsubj	_	_
9	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
10	black	black	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
12	from	from	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	females	female	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
16	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	18	nsubj	_	_
17	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	18	cop	_	_
18	white	white	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **serve** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **distinguish** | to-infinitive |  | the males |  |  |  |  | vn distinguish-23.5-1 «NP V NP PP»: agent=Attribute male=Theme |
| 3 | **is** | present | the males |  |  |  |  | black *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **is** | present | the females |  |  |  |  | white *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It derives from the colouration of the fish upon which they feed

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:129-madagascar-real-penguins-and-chimps:e2:o3:1
# text = It derives from the colouration of the fish upon which they feed
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	derives	derive	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	from	from	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	colouration	colouration	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	fish	fish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
9	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	12	obl	_	_
11	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
12	feed	feed	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **derive** | present | It |  |  | the colouration of the fish |  |  | vn create-26.4 «NP V NP PP.material»: agent=Agent from colouration=Material |
| 2 | **feed** | present | they |  |  |  |  | upon the fish | vn gorge-39.6 «NP V PP.patient»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It constitutes camouflage, the dark back matching the sea and the pale belly the sky

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:129-madagascar-real-penguins-and-chimps:e2:o4:1
# text = It constitutes camouflage, the dark back matching the sea and the pale belly the sky
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	constitutes	constitute	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	camouflage	camouflage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	dark	dark	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	back	back	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	appos	_	_
8	matching	match	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	7	acl	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	pale	pale	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	belly	belly	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	conj	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	sky	sky	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **constitute** | present | It | camouflage and the pale belly |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **match** | gerund | the dark back *not said here* | the sea |  |  |  |  | vn amalgamate-22.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sea=Patient |

<!-- div src -->

**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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- ↑ back to [The penguins of Madagascar: real penguins and chimps](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/129-madagascar-real-penguins-and-chimps/)