---
title: A boy holds a piece of amber with a fly inside. Why is the fly so we… — How old is it? Rock layers, rock clock… · tree and pragmatics
description: A boy holds a piece of amber with a fly inside. Why is the fly so well kept? Test 9 · ★ of lesson 276 «How old is it? Rock layers, rock clocks, amber and the long story of life» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option
---

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# Test 9 · ★ · How old is it? Rock layers, rock clocks, amber and the lon…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A boy holds a piece of amber with a fly inside. Why is the fly so well kept?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** boy, fly · **What happens:** hold, be, keep · **To what, where:** piece, fly

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 · ★ of lesson 276 «How old is it? Rock layers, rock clocks, amber and the long story of life» 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/276-how-old-is-it-rock-layers-rock-clocks-amber-and-the-long-story-of-life/#t9).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A boy holds a piece of amber with a fly inside.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:276-how-old-is-it-rock-layers-rock-clocks-amber-and-the-long-story-of-life:t9:1
# text = A boy holds a piece of amber with a fly inside.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	boy	boy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	holds	hold	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	piece	piece	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	amber	amber	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
8	with	with	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	fly	fly	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
11	inside	inside	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hold** | present | a boy | a piece of amber |  |  |  | with a fly; inside *property* | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent piece=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 is the fly so well kept?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:276-how-old-is-it-rock-layers-rock-clocks-amber-and-the-long-story-of-life:t9:2
# text = Why is the fly so well kept?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	0	root	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	fly	fly	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	_
5	so	so	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
6	well	well	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	7	advmod	_	_
7	kept	keep	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the fly |  |  |  |  | why *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **keep** | participle |  | the fly *not said here* |  |  |  | well *property* | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It got stuck in sticky resin that sealed it from air

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:276-how-old-is-it-rock-layers-rock-clocks-amber-and-the-long-story-of-life:t9:o1:1
# text = It got stuck in sticky resin that sealed it from air
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	got	get	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	stuck	stuck	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	xcomp	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	sticky	sticky	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	resin	resin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	8	nsubj	_	_
8	sealed	seal	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	acl:relcl	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	obj	_	_
10	from	from	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	air	air	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **get** | past | It |  |  |  |  | stuck *property* | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Experiencer |
| 2 | **seal** | past | sticky resin | resin |  | air |  |  | vn tape-22.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It was frozen in a glacier

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:276-how-old-is-it-rock-layers-rock-clocks-amber-and-the-long-story-of-life:t9:o2:1
# text = It was frozen in a glacier
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	frozen	freeze	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	glacier	glacier	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **freeze** | past · passive |  | It |  | a glacier |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4-1 «NP V NP ADJ»: subject=Result |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The fly was dipped in clear glue by a jeweller to sell it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:276-how-old-is-it-rock-layers-rock-clocks-amber-and-the-long-story-of-life:t9:o3:1
# text = The fly was dipped in clear glue by a jeweller to sell it
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	fly	fly	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	dipped	dip	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	clear	clear	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	glue	glue	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
8	by	by	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	jeweller	jeweller	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
12	sell	sell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	advcl	_	_
13	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **dip** | past · passive | a jeweller | the fly |  | clear glue |  |  | vn funnel-9.3 «NP V NP PP.trajectory»: agent=Agent subject=Theme in glue=Trajectory |
| 2 | **sell** | to-infinitive | a jeweller *not said here* | fly |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Flies never rot

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:276-how-old-is-it-rock-layers-rock-clocks-amber-and-the-long-story-of-life:t9:o4:1
# text = Flies never rot
1	Flies	fly	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	3	advmod	_	_
3	rot	rot	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **rot** | present | Flies |  |  |  |  |  | vn entity\_specific\_cos-45.5 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

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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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