---
title: After the asteroid the forests burned. Why did small seed-eating bir… — Feathered dinosaurs: from Archaeoptery… · tree and pragmatics
description: After the asteroid the forests burned. Why did small seed-eating birds have a better chance? Test 9 · ★ of lesson 269 «Feathered dinosaurs: from Archaeopteryx to the chicken on your plate» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of 
---

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# Test 9 · ★ · Feathered dinosaurs: from Archaeopteryx to the chicken on…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
After the asteroid the forests burned. Why did small seed-eating birds have a better chance?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** forests, small eating birds · **What happens:** burn, eat, have · **To what, where:** better chance

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This is test 9 · ★ of lesson 269 «Feathered dinosaurs: from Archaeopteryx to the chicken on your plate» of the biology course of Mova's primary school. 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/269-feathered-dinosaurs-archaeopteryx-to-chicken/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* After the asteroid the forests burned.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:269-feathered-dinosaurs-archaeopteryx-to-chicken:t9:1
# text = After the asteroid the forests burned.
1	After	after	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	asteroid	asteroid	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	forests	forest	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
6	burned	burn	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **burn** | past | the forests |  |  |  | after the asteroid |  | vn light\_emission-43.1 «NP V»: agent=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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* Why did small seed-eating birds have a better chance?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:269-feathered-dinosaurs-archaeopteryx-to-chicken:t9:2
# text = Why did small seed-eating birds have a better chance?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	8	advmod	_	_
2	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
3	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
4	seed	seed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	eating	eat	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	7	amod	_	_
7	birds	bird	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
8	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	better	good	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	11	amod	_	_
11	chance	chance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **eat** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **have** | past · do-support | small eating birds | a better chance |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent chance=Patient |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They could fly up high above the fire and smoke for weeks on end

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:269-feathered-dinosaurs-archaeopteryx-to-chicken:t9:o1:1
# text = They could fly up high above the fire and smoke for weeks on end
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	fly	fly	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	up	up	ADP	RP	_	3	compound:prt	_	_
5	high	high	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	3	advmod	_	_
6	above	above	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	fire	fire	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	smoke	smoke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	conj	_	_
11	for	for	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	weeks	week	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
13	on	on	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	end	end	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fly up** | could | They |  |  | the fire and smoke | on end; week | high *property* | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme above fire=Location |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Seeds lasted in the ground and they could live without trees

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:269-feathered-dinosaurs-archaeopteryx-to-chicken:t9:o2:1
# text = Seeds lasted in the ground and they could live without trees
1	Seeds	seed	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	lasted	last	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	ground	ground	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
7	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
8	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
9	live	live	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	conj	_	_
10	without	without	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	trees	tree	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **last** | past | Seeds |  |  | the ground |  |  | vn cost-54.2 «NP V NP.value»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **live** | could | Seeds *= seed* |  |  |  |  | without trees | vn exist-47.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They were too big and strong for the heat to harm them

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:269-feathered-dinosaurs-archaeopteryx-to-chicken:t9:o3:1
# text = They were too big and strong for the heat to harm them
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	too	too	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	big	big	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	strong	strong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	heat	heat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	11	mark	_	_
11	harm	harm	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	advcl	_	_
12	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | They |  |  |  |  | for the heat; big *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **be** |  | They *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **harm** | to-infinitive | They *not said here* | them *= they* |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus they=Experiencer |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They ate the burning wood and the ash that fell from it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:269-feathered-dinosaurs-archaeopteryx-to-chicken:t9:o4:1
# text = They ate the burning wood and the ash that fell from it
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	ate	eat	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	burning	burn	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	amod	_	_
5	wood	wood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	ash	ash	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	conj	_	_
9	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	10	nsubj	_	_
10	fell	fall	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	acl:relcl	_	_
11	from	from	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **eat** | past | They | the burning wood and the ash |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent wood=Patient |
| 2 | **burn** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn light\_emission-43.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **fall** | past | the ash |  |  | ash |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme from it=Initial\_Location |

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**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.

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