---
title: Ascertain the function of the forked tongue of the Komodo dragon. — Shrek's dragon: real «dragons» and liz… · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the function of the forked tongue of the Komodo dragon. Exam question 4 of lesson 146 «Shrek's dragon: real «dragons» and lizards, and why nothing breathes fire» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/146-shrek-s-dragon-real-dragons-and-lizards/e4/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Biology](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/) / [Shrek's dragon: real «dragons» and liz…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/146-shrek-s-dragon-real-dragons-and-lizards/) / e4

# Exam question 4 · Shrek's dragon: real «dragons» and lizards, and why nothin…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the function of the forked tongue of the Komodo dragon.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** ascertain, fork · **To what, where:** function

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 146 «Shrek's dragon: real «dragons» and lizards, and why nothing breathes fire» 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/146-shrek-s-dragon-real-dragons-and-lizards/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:146-shrek-s-dragon-real-dragons-and-lizards:e4:1
# text = Ascertain the function of the forked tongue of the Komodo dragon.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	function	function	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	forked	fork	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	amod	_	_
7	tongue	tongue	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	Komodo	Komodo	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	dragon	dragon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ascertain** | imperative | you *not said here* | the function of the forked tongue of the Komodo dragon |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent function=Topic |
| 2 | **fork** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn pocket-9.10 «NP V NP.theme»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It gathers scent for an organ in the roof of the mouth and distinguishes direction

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:146-shrek-s-dragon-real-dragons-and-lizards:e4:o1:1
# text = It gathers scent for an organ in the roof of the mouth and distinguishes direction
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	gathers	gather	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	scent	scent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	organ	organ	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	roof	roof	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	mouth	mouth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
14	distinguishes	distinguish	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
15	direction	direction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **gather** | present | It | scent |  |  |  | for a organ in the roof of the mouth | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP PP.beneficiary»: agent=Agent scent=Theme for organ=Beneficiary |
| 2 | **distinguish** | present |  | direction |  |  |  |  | vn distinguish-23.5-1 «NP V NP PP»: agent=Attribute direction=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It serves for the lowering of the body temperature

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:146-shrek-s-dragon-real-dragons-and-lizards:e4:o2:1
# text = It serves for the lowering of the body temperature
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	for	for	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	lowering	lowering	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	body	body	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	temperature	temperature	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **serve** | present | It |  |  |  |  | for the lowering of the body temperature | vn fulfilling-13.4.1-1 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent for lowering=Recipient |
| 2 | **lower** |  |  | the body temperature |  |  |  |  | nom lowering «act transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It serves principally for the tasting of food already bitten, and for testing whether it is safe to eat

<!-- fold The tree, 19 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:146-shrek-s-dragon-real-dragons-and-lizards:e4:o3:1
# text = It serves principally for the tasting of food already bitten, and for testing whether it is safe to eat
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	principally	principally	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	tasting	tasting	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
9	already	already	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	bitten	bite	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
13	for	for	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	testing	testing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	conj	_	_
15	whether	whether	SCONJ	IN	_	18	mark	_	_
16	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	18	nsubj	_	_
17	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	18	cop	_	_
18	safe	safe	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	acl:relcl	_	_
19	to	to	PART	TO	_	20	mark	_	_
20	eat	eat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	18	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **serve** | present | It |  |  |  |  | for the tasting of food; principally *property* | vn fulfilling-13.4.1-1 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent for tasting=Recipient |
| 2 | **bite** | participle |  | food *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn swat-18.2 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is** | present | it | testing *not said here* |  |  |  | safe *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **eat** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **taste** |  |  | food |  |  |  |  | nom tasting «cognition transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It serves for the capture of flying insects

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:146-shrek-s-dragon-real-dragons-and-lizards:e4:o4:1
# text = It serves for the capture of flying insects
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	for	for	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	capture	capture	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	flying	fly	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	amod	_	_
8	insects	insect	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **serve** | present | It |  |  |  |  | for the capture of flying insects | vn fulfilling-13.4.1-1 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent for capture=Recipient |
| 2 | **fly** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **capture** |  |  | flying insects |  |  |  |  | nom capture «act transitive»: of=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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Shrek's dragon: real «dragons» and liz…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/146-shrek-s-dragon-real-dragons-and-lizards/e3/)
- next →: [Spider-Man: real spider silk and webs, test 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/147-spider-man-real-spider-silk-and-webs/t1/)
- ↑ back to [Shrek's dragon: real «dragons» and lizards, and why nothing breathes fire](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/146-shrek-s-dragon-real-dragons-and-lizards/)