---
title: Ascertain the reason for which the La Brea tar pits contain a dispro… — Mammoths and the Ice Age giants: sabre… · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the reason for which the La Brea tar pits contain a disproportionate number of carnivores. Exam question 3 of lesson 272 «Mammoths and the Ice Age giants: sabre-tooths, ground sloths and woolly rhinos» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics 
---

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# Exam question 3 · Mammoths and the Ice Age giants: sabre-tooths, ground slot…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the reason for which the La Brea tar pits contain a disproportionate number of carnivores.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you, La tar pits · **What happens:** ascertain, contain · **To what, where:** reason, disproportionate number

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 272 «Mammoths and the Ice Age giants: sabre-tooths, ground sloths and woolly rhinos» 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/272-mammoths-and-the-ice-age-giants/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:272-mammoths-and-the-ice-age-giants:e3:1
# text = Ascertain the reason for which the La Brea tar pits contain a disproportionate number of carnivores.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	11	obl	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
7	La	La	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
8	Brea	Brea	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	flat	_	_
9	tar	tar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	pits	pit	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	nsubj	_	_
11	contain	contain	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	acl:relcl	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	disproportionate	disproportionate	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	number	number	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
15	of	of	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
16	carnivores	carnivore	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	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 reason |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent reason=Topic |
| 2 | **contain** | present | the La tar pits | a disproportionate number of carnivores |  |  |  | for the reason | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot number=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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Predators attracted to trapped animals became trapped in turn

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:272-mammoths-and-the-ice-age-giants:e3:o1:1
# text = Predators attracted to trapped animals became trapped in turn
1	Predators	predator	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	attracted	attract	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	trapped	trap	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	amod	_	_
5	animals	animal	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
6	became	become	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
7	trapped	trap	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	advcl	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	turn	turn	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **attract** | past | Predators |  |  |  |  | to trapped animals *result* | vn lure-59.3 «NP V NP PP.result»: agent=Agent to animal=Result |
| 2 | **trap** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn trick-59.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **become** | past | Predators *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn become-109.1-1-1 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Patient |
| 4 | **trap** | participle | Predators *not said here* |  |  | turn |  |  | vn pocket-9.10 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent in turn=Destination |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Herbivore bones dissolve completely in tar

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:272-mammoths-and-the-ice-age-giants:e3:o2:1
# text = Herbivore bones dissolve completely in tar
1	Herbivore	herbivore	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	compound	_	_
2	bones	bone	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	dissolve	dissolve	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	completely	completely	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	tar	tar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **dissolve** | present | Herbivore bones |  |  | tar |  | completely *property* | vn break-45.1 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Herbivores were incapable of reaching the site owing to the surrounding cliffs

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:272-mammoths-and-the-ice-age-giants:e3:o3:1
# text = Herbivores were incapable of reaching the site owing to the surrounding cliffs
1	Herbivores	herbivore	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	incapable	incapable	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
5	reaching	reach	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	acl	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	site	site	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	owing	owe	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	advcl	_	_
9	to	to	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	surrounding	surrounding	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	compound	_	_
12	cliffs	cliff	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | Herbivores | incapable |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **reach** | gerund | incapable *not said here* | the site |  |  |  |  | vn body\_motion-49.2-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Agent site=Theme |
| 3 | **owe** | gerund | incapable *not said here* |  |  |  |  | to the surrounding cliffs *goal* | vn future\_having-13.3 «NP V NP PP.goal»: agent=Agent to cliff=Goal |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The tar was preferred by carnivores as drinking water

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:272-mammoths-and-the-ice-age-giants:e3:o4:1
# text = The tar was preferred by carnivores as drinking water
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	tar	tar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	preferred	prefer	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	by	by	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	carnivores	carnivore	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
7	as	as	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	drinking	drink	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	9	amod	_	_
9	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **prefer** | past · passive | carnivores | the tar |  |  |  | as drinking water | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer subject=Stimulus |
| 2 | **drink** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

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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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