--- title: Ascertain the principal mechanism by which the darkening of the sky… — The asteroid: the day the dinosaurs di… · tree and pragmatics description: Ascertain the principal mechanism by which the darkening of the sky brought about the collapse of food chains. Exam question 3 of lesson 271 «The asteroid: the day the dinosaurs died and who survived» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the ques --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/271-the-asteroid-the-day-the-dinosaurs-died/e3/) [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/) / [The asteroid: the day the dinosaurs di…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/271-the-asteroid-the-day-the-dinosaurs-died/) / e3 # Exam question 3 · The asteroid: the day the dinosaurs died and who survived Ascertain the principal mechanism by which the darkening of the sky brought about the collapse of food chains. **Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you, darkening, food chains · **What happens:** ascertain, bring, darken, collapse · **To what, where:** principal mechanism, sky This is exam question 3 of lesson 271 «The asteroid: the day the dinosaurs died and who survived» 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/271-the-asteroid-the-day-the-dinosaurs-died/#e3). ## The question {#question} ```conllu # sent_id = question:biology:271-the-asteroid-the-day-the-dinosaurs-died:e3:1 # text = Ascertain the principal mechanism by which the darkening of the sky brought about the collapse of food chains. 1 Ascertain ascertain 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 mechanism mechanism NOUN NN Number=Sing 1 obj _ _ 5 by by ADP IN _ 6 case _ _ 6 which which PRON WDT PronType=Rel 12 obl _ _ 7 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 8 det _ _ 8 darkening darkening NOUN NN Number=Sing 12 nsubj _ _ 9 of of ADP IN _ 11 case _ _ 10 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 11 det _ _ 11 sky sky NOUN NN Number=Sing 8 nmod _ _ 12 brought bring VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 4 acl:relcl _ _ 13 about about ADP IN _ 15 case _ _ 14 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 15 det _ _ 15 collapse collapse NOUN NN Number=Sing 12 obl _ _ 16 of of ADP IN _ 18 case _ _ 17 food food NOUN NN Number=Sing 18 compound _ _ 18 chains chain NOUN NNS Number=Plur 15 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No 19 . . PUNCT . _ 1 punct _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **ascertain** | imperative | you *not said here* | the principal mechanism | | | | | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mechanism=Topic | | 2 | **bring** | past | the darkening of the sky | | | | | by the principal mechanism; about the collapse of food chains | vn bring-11.3-1 «NP V NP together»: agent=Agent | | 3 | **darken** | | | the sky | | | | | nom darkening «act transitive»: of=patient | | 4 | **collapse** | | food chains | | | | | | nom collapse «state intransitive»: of=agent | 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} The cessation of plant growth for want of sunlight, followed by the starvation of herbivores and then carnivores ```conllu # sent_id = question:biology:271-the-asteroid-the-day-the-dinosaurs-died:e3:o1:1 # text = The cessation of plant growth for want of sunlight, followed by the starvation of herbivores and then carnivores 1 The the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 2 det _ _ 2 cessation cessation NOUN NN Number=Sing 0 root _ _ 3 of of ADP IN _ 5 case _ _ 4 plant plant NOUN NN Number=Sing 5 compound _ _ 5 growth growth NOUN NN Number=Sing 2 nmod _ _ 6 for for ADP IN _ 7 case _ _ 7 want want NOUN NN Number=Sing 5 nmod _ _ 8 of of ADP IN _ 9 case _ _ 9 sunlight sunlight NOUN NN Number=Sing 7 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No 10 , , PUNCT , _ 11 punct _ _ 11 followed follow VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 2 acl _ _ 12 by by ADP IN _ 14 case _ _ 13 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 14 det _ _ 14 starvation starvation NOUN NN Number=Sing 11 obl _ _ 15 of of ADP IN _ 16 case _ _ 16 herbivores herbivore NOUN NNS Number=Plur 14 nmod _ _ 17 and and CCONJ CC _ 19 cc _ _ 18 then then ADV RB PronType=Dem 19 advmod _ _ 19 carnivores carnivore NOUN NNS Number=Plur 16 conj _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **follow** | participle | | the cessation of plant growth for want of sunlight *not said here* | | | | by the starvation of herbivores and carnivores | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Theme by starvation=Location | | 2 | **cease** | | | plant growth for want of sunlight | | | | | nom cessation «event transitive»: of=patient | | 3 | **want** | | | sunlight | | | | | nom want «state transitive»: of=patient | | 4 | **starve** | | herbivores and carnivores | | | | | | nom starvation «state intransitive»: of=agent | ### Option 2 {#o2} The flight of all animals to other continents where the sky had remained clear and plants still grew ```conllu # sent_id = question:biology:271-the-asteroid-the-day-the-dinosaurs-died:e3:o2:1 # text = The flight of all animals to other continents where the sky had remained clear and plants still grew 1 The the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 2 det _ _ 2 flight flight NOUN NN Number=Sing 18 nsubj _ _ 3 of of ADP IN _ 5 case _ _ 4 all all DET DT PronType=Tot 5 det _ _ 5 animals animal NOUN NNS Number=Plur 2 nmod _ _ 6 to to ADP IN _ 8 case _ _ 7 other other ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 8 amod _ _ 8 continents continent NOUN NNS Number=Plur 5 nmod _ _ 9 where where ADV WRB PronType=Rel 13 advmod _ _ 10 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 11 det _ _ 11 sky sky NOUN NN Number=Sing 13 nsubj:pass _ _ 12 had have AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 13 aux _ _ 13 remained remain VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 8 acl:relcl _ _ 14 clear clear ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 13 xcomp _ _ 15 and and CCONJ CC _ 16 cc _ _ 16 plants plant NOUN NNS Number=Plur 5 conj _ _ 17 still still ADV RB _ 18 advmod _ _ 18 grew grow VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **remain** | past · perfect · passive | | the sky | | | | clear *property* | vn seem-109-1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Attribute | | 2 | **grow** | past | the flight of all animals to other continents and plants | | | | still | | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme | ### Option 3 {#o3} The direct poisoning of all animals by the darkness itself, which was understood to be toxic to reptiles ```conllu # sent_id = question:biology:271-the-asteroid-the-day-the-dinosaurs-died:e3:o3:1 # text = The direct poisoning of all animals by the darkness itself, which was understood to be toxic to reptiles 1 The the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 3 det _ _ 2 direct direct ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 3 amod _ _ 3 poisoning poisoning NOUN NN Number=Sing 0 root _ _ 4 of of ADP IN _ 6 case _ _ 5 all all DET DT PronType=Tot 6 det _ _ 6 animals animal NOUN NNS Number=Plur 3 nmod _ _ 7 by by ADP IN _ 9 case _ _ 8 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 9 det _ _ 9 darkness darkness NOUN NN Number=Sing 3 nmod _ _ 10 itself itself PRON PRP Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Emp|Reflex=Yes 9 nmod:unmarked _ SpaceAfter=No 11 , , PUNCT , _ 14 punct _ _ 12 which which PRON WDT PronType=Rel 14 nsubj:pass _ _ 13 was be AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 14 aux:pass _ _ 14 understood understand VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 3 acl _ _ 15 to to PART TO _ 17 mark _ _ 16 be be AUX VB VerbForm=Inf 17 cop _ _ 17 toxic toxic ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 14 xcomp _ _ 18 to to ADP IN _ 19 case _ _ 19 reptiles reptile NOUN NNS Number=Plur 17 obl _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **understand** | past · passive | | the direct poisoning of all animals by the darkness darkness | | | | | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: subject=Stimulus | | 2 | **is** | to-infinitive | | | | | | to reptiles; toxic *property* | tree rules | | 3 | **poison** | | the darkness darkness | all animals | | | | | nom poisoning «state transitive»: of=patient by=agent | ### Option 4 {#o4} The freezing solid of all the oceans within a single day, which prevented the animals from drinking ```conllu # sent_id = question:biology:271-the-asteroid-the-day-the-dinosaurs-died:e3:o4:1 # text = The freezing solid of all the oceans within a single day, which prevented the animals from drinking 1 The the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 3 det _ _ 2 freezing freezing NOUN NN Number=Sing 3 compound _ _ 3 solid solid NOUN NN Number=Sing 14 nsubj _ _ 4 of of ADP IN _ 7 case _ _ 5 all all DET PDT PronType=Tot 7 det:predet _ _ 6 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 7 det _ _ 7 oceans ocean NOUN NNS Number=Plur 3 nmod _ _ 8 within within ADP IN _ 11 case _ _ 9 a a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 11 det _ _ 10 single single ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 11 amod _ _ 11 day day NOUN NN Number=Sing 7 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No 12 , , PUNCT , _ 14 punct _ _ 13 which which PRON WDT PronType=Rel 14 nsubj _ _ 14 prevented prevent VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 15 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 16 det _ _ 16 animals animal NOUN NNS Number=Plur 14 obj _ _ 17 from from ADP IN _ 18 case _ _ 18 drinking drinking NOUN NN Number=Sing 14 obl _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **prevent** | past | the freezing solid of all oceans within a single day | | the animals | drinking | | | vn forbid-64.4-1 «NP V NP PP.theme»: agent=Causer animal=Beneficiary from drinking=Eventuality | **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. 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