---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Defences: poison, warning colours and… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the function of bright coloration in poisonous animals? Exam question 1 of lesson 247 «Defences: poison, warning colours and mimics» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question
---

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# Exam question 1 · Defences: poison, warning colours and mimics

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the function of bright coloration in poisonous animals?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** follow, characteris · **To what, where:** function

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 247 «Defences: poison, warning colours and mimics» 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/247-defences-poison-warning-colours-and-mimics/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:247-defences-poison-warning-colours-and-mimics:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the function of bright coloration in poisonous animals?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	8	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	following	follow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	amod	_	_
5	statements	statement	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	_
6	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	7	advmod	_	_
7	accurately	accurately	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	characterises	characteris	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	function	function	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	bright	bright	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	coloration	coloration	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
14	in	in	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	poisonous	poisonous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	animals	animal	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **follow** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **characteris** | present |  | the function of bright coloration in poisonous animals |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .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 provides concealment amongst foliage

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:247-defences-poison-warning-colours-and-mimics:e1:o1:1
# text = It provides concealment amongst foliage
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	provides	provide	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	concealment	concealment	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
4	amongst	amongst	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	foliage	foliage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **provide** | present | It | concealment |  |  |  | amongst foliage | vn ensure-99 «NP V NP»: agent=Precondition concealment=Theme |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It serves as a warning to predators that the animal is unpalatable or harmful

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:247-defences-poison-warning-colours-and-mimics:e1:o2:1
# text = It serves as a warning to predators that the animal is unpalatable or harmful
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	as	as	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	warning	warning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	predators	predator	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
8	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	12	nsubj	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
11	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
12	unpalatable	unpalatable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	acl:relcl	_	_
13	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
14	harmful	harmful	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **serve** | present | It |  |  |  |  | as a warning; to predators | vn masquerade-29.6-2 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Agent as warning=Attribute |
| 2 | **is** | present | predators |  |  |  |  | unpalatable *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **be** |  | predators *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It serves exclusively to attract mates in darkness, the colours glowing at night

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:247-defences-poison-warning-colours-and-mimics:e1:o3:1
# text = It serves exclusively to attract mates in darkness, the colours glowing at night
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	exclusively	exclusively	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	attract	attract	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
6	mates	mate	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	darkness	darkness	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	colours	colour	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	conj	_	_
12	glowing	glow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	11	acl	_	_
13	at	at	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **serve** | present | It |  |  |  |  | exclusively *property* | vn masquerade-29.6-2 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **attract** | to-infinitive |  | mates |  | darkness |  |  | vn lure-59.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mate=Patient |
| 3 | **glow** | gerund | the colours *not said here* |  |  |  | night |  | vn light\_emission-43.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It regulates the temperature of the body

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:247-defences-poison-warning-colours-and-mimics:e1:o4:1
# text = It regulates the temperature of the body
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	regulates	regulate	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	temperature	temperature	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	body	body	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **regulate** | present | It | the temperature of the body |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- 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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- ← previous: [Defences: poison, warning colours and…, test 11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/247-defences-poison-warning-colours-and-mimics/t11/)
- next →: [Defences: poison, warning colours and…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/247-defences-poison-warning-colours-and-mimics/e2/)
- ↑ back to [Defences: poison, warning colours and mimics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/247-defences-poison-warning-colours-and-mimics/)