---
title: Ascertain the origin of the substance commonly designated «cuckoo sp… — The garden in summer: flowers, aphids,… · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the origin of the substance commonly designated «cuckoo spit». Exam question 4 of lesson 334 «The garden in summer: flowers, aphids, ladybirds and flying ant day» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mov
---

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# Exam question 4 · The garden in summer: flowers, aphids, ladybirds and flyin…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the origin of the substance commonly designated «cuckoo spit».

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you, substance · **What happens:** ascertain, designate · **To what, where:** origin, cuckoo spit

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 334 «The garden in summer: flowers, aphids, ladybirds and flying ant day» 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/334-the-garden-in-summer-flowers-aphids-ladybirds-and-flying-ant-day/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:334-the-garden-in-summer-flowers-aphids-ladybirds-and-flying-ant-day:e4:1
# text = Ascertain the origin of the substance commonly designated «cuckoo spit».
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	origin	origin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	substance	substance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
7	commonly	commonly	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	designated	designate	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	acl:relcl	_	_
9	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	cuckoo	cuckoo	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	spit	spit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	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 origin of the substance |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent origin=Topic |
| 2 | **designate** | past | the substance *not said here* | cuckoo spit |  |  |  | commonly *property* | vn appoint-29.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent spit=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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is the saliva of the cuckoo deposited upon plants

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:334-the-garden-in-summer-flowers-aphids-ladybirds-and-flying-ant-day:e4:o1:1
# text = It is the saliva of the cuckoo deposited upon plants
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	saliva	saliva	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	cuckoo	cuckoo	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
8	deposited	deposit	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	acl	_	_
9	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	plants	plant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | the saliva |  |  |  | of the cuckoo | tree rules |
| 2 | **deposit** | participle |  | the saliva *not said here* |  | plants |  |  | vn put-9.1-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent upon plant=Destination |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is a froth produced by the young of the froghopper for concealment and moisture

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:334-the-garden-in-summer-flowers-aphids-ladybirds-and-flying-ant-day:e4:o2:1
# text = It is a froth produced by the young of the froghopper for concealment and moisture
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	froth	froth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	produced	produce	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	acl	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	young	young	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	froghopper	froghopper	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
12	for	for	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	concealment	concealment	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
15	moisture	moisture	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a froth |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **produce** | participle |  | a froth *not said here* |  |  |  | by the young of the froghopper for concealment and moisture | vn create-26.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is a residue left upon stems by passing snails

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:334-the-garden-in-summer-flowers-aphids-ladybirds-and-flying-ant-day:e4:o3:1
# text = It is a residue left upon stems by passing snails
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	residue	residue	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	left	leave	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	acl	_	_
6	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	stems	stem	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
8	by	by	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	passing	pass	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	10	amod	_	_
10	snails	snail	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a residue |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **leave** | participle |  | a residue *not said here* |  | stems |  | by passing snails | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP PP.location»: agent=Agent upon stem=Location |
| 3 | **pass** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is a secretion of the plant in response to heat

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:334-the-garden-in-summer-flowers-aphids-ladybirds-and-flying-ant-day:e4:o4:1
# text = It is a secretion of the plant in response to heat
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	secretion	secretion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	plant	plant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	response	response	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	11	mark	_	_
11	heat	heat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	acl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a secretion |  |  |  | of the plant in response | tree rules |
| 2 | **heat** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn cooking-45.3 «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.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [The garden in summer: flowers, aphids,…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/334-the-garden-in-summer-flowers-aphids-ladybirds-and-flying-ant-day/e3/)
- next →: [The garden in autumn: colours, conkers…, test 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/335-the-garden-in-autumn-colours-conkers-webs-and-buried-nuts/t1/)
- ↑ back to [The garden in summer: flowers, aphids, ladybirds and flying ant day](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/334-the-garden-in-summer-flowers-aphids-ladybirds-and-flying-ant-day/)