---
title: In a cartoon, a mosquito puts on a gas mask and laughs at the bug sp… — Natural selection we can watch: moths,… · tree and pragmatics
description: In a cartoon, a mosquito puts on a gas mask and laughs at the bug spray. What is really happening when mosquitoes resist spray? Test 7 · ★★ of lesson 279 «Natural selection we can watch: moths, finches, germs and tuskless elephants» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency
---

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# Test 7 · ★★ · Natural selection we can watch: moths, finches, germs and…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In a cartoon, a mosquito puts on a gas mask and laughs at the bug spray. What is really happening when mosquitoes resist spray?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** mosquito, mosquitoes · **What happens:** put, laugh, happen, resist · **To what, where:** cartoon, bug spray, spray

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This is test 7 · ★★ of lesson 279 «Natural selection we can watch: moths, finches, germs and tuskless elephants» 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/279-natural-selection-we-can-watch-moths-finches-germs-and-tuskless-elephants/#t7).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* In a cartoon, a mosquito puts on a gas mask and laughs at the bug spray.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:279-natural-selection-we-can-watch-moths-finches-germs-and-tuskless-elephants:t7:1
# text = In a cartoon, a mosquito puts on a gas mask and laughs at the bug spray.
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	cartoon	cartoon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	mosquito	mosquito	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	puts	put	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	on	on	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	gas	gas	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	mask	mask	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
13	laughs	laugh	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	conj	_	_
14	at	at	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
16	bug	bug	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	compound	_	_
17	spray	spray	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **put** | present | a mosquito |  |  | a cartoon |  | on a gas mask | vn put-9.1-2 «NP V PP.destination NP»: agent=Agent on mask=Destination |
| 2 | **laugh** | present | a mosquito *not said here* |  |  | the bug spray |  |  | vn nonverbal\_expression-40.2 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .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:* What is really happening when mosquitoes resist spray?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:279-natural-selection-we-can-watch-moths-finches-germs-and-tuskless-elephants:t7:2
# text = What is really happening when mosquitoes resist spray?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	really	really	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	happening	happen	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	7	advmod	_	_
6	mosquitoes	mosquito	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
7	resist	resist	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
8	spray	spray	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **happen** | present · progressive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **resist** | present | mosquitoes | spray |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Each mosquito learns to hold its breath for longer every time it is sprayed

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:279-natural-selection-we-can-watch-moths-finches-germs-and-tuskless-elephants:t7:o1:1
# text = Each mosquito learns to hold its breath for longer every time it is sprayed
1	Each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	2	det	_	_
2	mosquito	mosquito	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	learns	learn	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	hold	hold	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	breath	breath	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	for	for	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	longer	long	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	5	obl	_	_
10	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	11	det	_	_
11	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl:unmarked	_	_
12	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj:pass	_	_
13	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	aux:pass	_	_
14	sprayed	spray	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	11	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **learn** | present | each mosquito |  |  |  |  |  | vn learn-14-2-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **hold** | to-infinitive | each mosquito *not said here* | mosquito's breath |  |  | time |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent breath=Theme |
| 3 | **spray** | present · passive | every time *not said here* | mosquito |  |  |  |  | vn spray-9.7-1 «NP V NP.theme»: subject=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Mosquitoes wear tiny masks

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:279-natural-selection-we-can-watch-moths-finches-germs-and-tuskless-elephants:t7:o2:1
# text = Mosquitoes wear tiny masks
1	Mosquitoes	mosquito	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	wear	wear	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	tiny	tiny	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	masks	mask	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **wear** | present | Mosquitoes | tiny masks |  |  |  |  | vn wipe\_manner-10.4.1-1 «NP V NP.theme»: agent=Agent mask=Theme |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A few already tough mosquitoes survive and breed until most are resistant

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:279-natural-selection-we-can-watch-moths-finches-germs-and-tuskless-elephants:t7:o3:1
# text = A few already tough mosquitoes survive and breed until most are resistant
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
2	few	few	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
3	already	already	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	tough	tough	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	mosquitoes	mosquito	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
6	survive	survive	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	breed	breed	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
9	until	until	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
10	most	most	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	12	nsubj	_	_
11	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
12	resistant	resistant	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **survive** | present | a few tough mosquitoes |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **breed** | present | a few tough mosquitoes *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **is** | present | most |  |  |  |  | resistant *property* | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The spray turns into food

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:279-natural-selection-we-can-watch-moths-finches-germs-and-tuskless-elephants:t7:o4:1
# text = The spray turns into food
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	spray	spray	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	turns	turn	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	into	into	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **turn** | present | the spray |  |  | food |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V PP.trajectory»: agent=Theme into food=Trajectory |

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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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