---
title: Ascertain the circumstances of the rediscovery of the coelacanth. — Megalodon and the giants of the sea, p… · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the circumstances of the rediscovery of the coelacanth. Exam question 3 of lesson 273 «Megalodon and the giants of the sea, past and present» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was right.
---

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# Exam question 3 · Megalodon and the giants of the sea, past and present

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the circumstances of the rediscovery of the coelacanth.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** ascertain, rediscover · **To what, where:** circumstances, coelacanth

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 273 «Megalodon and the giants of the sea, past and present» 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/273-megalodon-and-the-giants-of-the-sea/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:273-megalodon-and-the-giants-of-the-sea:e3:1
# text = Ascertain the circumstances of the rediscovery of the coelacanth.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	circumstances	circumstance	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obj	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	rediscovery	rediscovery	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	coelacanth	coelacanth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	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 circumstances of the rediscovery of the coelacanth |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent circumstance=Topic |
| 2 | **rediscover** |  |  | the coelacanth |  |  |  |  | nom rediscovery «act transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- .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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A fossil was restored to life by scientists by means of preserved material

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:273-megalodon-and-the-giants-of-the-sea:e3:o1:1
# text = A fossil was restored to life by scientists by means of preserved material
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	fossil	fossil	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	restored	restore	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	life	life	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
7	by	by	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	scientists	scientist	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
9	by	by	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	preserved	preserve	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	13	amod	_	_
13	material	material	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **restore** | past · passive | scientists | a fossil | life |  |  |  | vn contribute-13.2 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent subject=Theme to life=Recipient |
| 2 | **mean** | present |  |  |  |  |  | of preserved material | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **preserve** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn defend-72.3 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The species was first described in an ancient legend

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:273-megalodon-and-the-giants-of-the-sea:e3:o2:1
# text = The species was first described in an ancient legend
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	species	species	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux:pass	_	_
4	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	5	advmod	_	_
5	described	describe	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	ancient	ancient	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	legend	legend	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **describe** | past · passive |  | the species |  | a ancient legend |  | first *property* | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: subject=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A frozen specimen was recovered from Siberian permafrost alongside the remains of the mammoth

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:273-megalodon-and-the-giants-of-the-sea:e3:o3:1
# text = A frozen specimen was recovered from Siberian permafrost alongside the remains of the mammoth
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	frozen	frozen	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	specimen	specimen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	recovered	recover	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	from	from	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	Siberian	siberian	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	permafrost	permafrost	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	alongside	alongside	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	remains	remains	NOUN	NNS	Number=Ptan	5	obl	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	mammoth	mammoth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **recover** | past · passive |  | a frozen specimen |  | Siberian permafrost |  | alongside the remains of the mammoth | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP PP.source»: subject=Theme from permafrost=Source |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A living specimen was taken off South Africa in 1938, the species having been presumed extinct

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:273-megalodon-and-the-giants-of-the-sea:e3:o4:1
# text = A living specimen was taken off South Africa in 1938, the species having been presumed extinct
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	living	living	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	specimen	specimen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	taken	take	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	off	off	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	South	South	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	Africa	Africa	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	1938	1938	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	species	species	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	16	nsubj:pass	_	_
14	having	have	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	16	aux	_	_
15	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	16	aux:pass	_	_
16	presumed	presume	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	conj	_	_
17	extinct	extinct	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **take off** | past · passive |  | a living specimen |  | 1938 |  | off South Africa | tree rules |
| 2 | **presume** | gerund · perfect · passive |  | the species |  |  |  | extinct *property* | vn conjecture-29.5-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

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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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- ← previous: [Megalodon and the giants of the sea, p…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/273-megalodon-and-the-giants-of-the-sea/e2/)
- next →: [Megalodon and the giants of the sea, p…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/273-megalodon-and-the-giants-of-the-sea/e4/)
- ↑ back to [Megalodon and the giants of the sea, past and present](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/273-megalodon-and-the-giants-of-the-sea/)