---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Snakes and lizards · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the mechanism whereby a snake ingests prey larger than its head? Exam question 2 of lesson 30 «Snakes and lizards» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each optio
---

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# Exam question 2 · Snakes and lizards

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the mechanism whereby a snake ingests prey larger than its head?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** snake · **What happens:** follow, characteris, ingest · **To what, where:** mechanism, prey

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 30 «Snakes and lizards» 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/30-snakes-and-lizards/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:30-snakes-and-lizards:e2:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the mechanism whereby a snake ingests prey larger than its head?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	8	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	following	follow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	amod	_	_
5	statements	statement	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	_
6	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	7	advmod	_	_
7	accurately	accurately	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	characterises	characteris	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	mechanism	mechanism	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	whereby	whereby	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	14	advmod	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	snake	snake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nsubj	_	_
14	ingests	ingest	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	acl:relcl	_	_
15	prey	prey	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	_
16	larger	large	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	14	xcomp	_	_
17	than	than	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	19	nmod:poss	_	_
19	head	head	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **follow** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **characteris** | present |  | the mechanism |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **ingest** | present | a snake | prey |  |  |  | large, whereby *property* | vn absorb-39.8 «NP V NP»: agent=Goal prey=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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The prey is dissolved externally

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:30-snakes-and-lizards:e2:o1:1
# text = The prey is dissolved externally
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	prey	prey	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	dissolved	dissolve	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	externally	externally	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **dissolve** | present · passive |  | the prey |  |  |  | externally *property* | vn break-45.1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The prey is first chewed into portions

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:30-snakes-and-lizards:e2:o2:1
# text = The prey is first chewed into portions
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	prey	prey	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux:pass	_	_
4	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	5	advmod	_	_
5	chewed	chew	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	into	into	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	portions	portion	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **chew** | present · passive |  | the prey |  | portions |  | first *property* | vn chew-39.2 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The halves of the lower jaw are joined by elastic tissue that stretches

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:30-snakes-and-lizards:e2:o3:1
# text = The halves of the lower jaw are joined by elastic tissue that stretches
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	halves	half	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	lower	low	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	6	amod	_	_
6	jaw	jaw	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
7	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux:pass	_	_
8	joined	join	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
9	by	by	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	elastic	elastic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	tissue	tissue	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
12	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	13	nsubj	_	_
13	stretches	stretch	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **join** | present · passive | elastic tissue | the halves of the lower jaw |  |  |  |  | vn mix-22.1-2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Patient |
| 2 | **stretch** | present | elastic tissue |  |  |  |  |  | vn bend-45.2 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The jaw is detached from the skull and later reattached when it has finished

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:30-snakes-and-lizards:e2:o4:1
# text = The jaw is detached from the skull and later reattached when it has finished
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	jaw	jaw	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	detached	detach	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	from	from	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	skull	skull	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
9	later	late	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	10	advmod	_	_
10	reattached	reattach	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
11	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	14	advmod	_	_
12	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj:pass	_	_
13	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	_
14	finished	finish	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **detach** | present · passive |  | the jaw |  |  |  | from the skull | vn disassemble-23.3 «NP V NP PP.co-patient»: subject=Patient from skull=Co-Patient |
| 2 | **reattach** | past |  |  |  |  |  | late *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **finish** | present · perfect · passive |  | jaw |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP V NP.eventuality»: subject=Eventuality |

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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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