---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — City birds: sparrows, starlings, swift… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the decline and recovery of the peregrine falcon? Exam question 2 of lesson 369 «City birds: sparrows, starlings, swifts, crows and peregrines on tall buildings» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree a
---

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# Exam question 2 · City birds: sparrows, starlings, swifts, crows and peregri…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the decline and recovery of the peregrine falcon?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** peregrine falcon · **What happens:** follow, characteris, decline · **To what, where:** decline

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 369 «City birds: sparrows, starlings, swifts, crows and peregrines on tall buildings» 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/369-city-birds-sparrows-starlings-swifts-crows-and-peregrines-on-tall-buildings/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:369-city-birds-sparrows-starlings-swifts-crows-and-peregrines-on-tall-buildings:e2:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the decline and recovery of the peregrine falcon?
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	decline	decline	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	recovery	recovery	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	conj	_	_
13	of	of	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
15	peregrine	peregrine	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	compound	_	_
16	falcon	falcon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	?	?	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 decline of the peregrine falcon and recovery |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **decline** |  | the peregrine falcon |  |  |  |  |  | nom decline «process intransitive»: of=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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The species declined because pigeons attacked its nests

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:369-city-birds-sparrows-starlings-swifts-crows-and-peregrines-on-tall-buildings:e2:o1:1
# text = The species declined because pigeons attacked its nests
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	species	species	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	declined	decline	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
5	pigeons	pigeon	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
6	attacked	attack	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
7	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	nests	nest	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **decline** | past | the species |  |  |  |  |  | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1-1 «NP.attribute V»: agent=Attribute |
| 2 | **attack** | past | pigeons | its nests |  |  |  |  | vn attack-60.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent nest=Patient |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The pesticide DDT thinned its eggshells, and after its prohibition the species recovered

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:369-city-birds-sparrows-starlings-swifts-crows-and-peregrines-on-tall-buildings:e2:o2:1
# text = The pesticide DDT thinned its eggshells, and after its prohibition the species recovered
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	pesticide	pesticide	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	DDT	DDT	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	appos	_	_
4	thinned	thin	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	eggshells	eggshell	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
9	after	after	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
11	prohibition	prohibition	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	species	species	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	nmod	_	_
14	recovered	recover	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **thin** | past | the pesticide | pesticide's eggshells |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent eggshell=Patient |
| 2 | **recover** | past | the pesticide *not said here* |  |  |  | after pesticide's prohibition  the species |  | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **prohibit** |  | pesticide |  |  |  |  |  | nom prohibition «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The species has never declined

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:369-city-birds-sparrows-starlings-swifts-crows-and-peregrines-on-tall-buildings:e2:o3:1
# text = The species has never declined
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	species	species	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
5	declined	decline	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **decline** | present · perfect · passive |  | the species |  |  |  |  | vn reject-77.2 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The species declined owing to the construction of tall buildings in the cities of Europe

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:369-city-birds-sparrows-starlings-swifts-crows-and-peregrines-on-tall-buildings:e2:o4:1
# text = The species declined owing to the construction of tall buildings in the cities of Europe
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	species	species	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	declined	decline	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	owing	owe	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	xcomp	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	construction	construction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	tall	tall	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	buildings	building	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nmod	_	_
11	in	in	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	cities	city	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
14	of	of	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	Europe	Europe	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	13	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **decline** | past | the species |  |  |  |  |  | vn reject-77.2 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **not** **owe** | gerund | the species *not said here* |  |  | the cities of Europe |  | to the construction of tall buildings *goal* | vn future\_having-13.3 «NP V NP PP.goal»: agent=Agent to construction=Goal |
| 3 | **construct** |  |  | tall buildings |  |  |  |  | nom construction «act transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- div src -->

**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: [City birds: sparrows, starlings, swift…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/369-city-birds-sparrows-starlings-swifts-crows-and-peregrines-on-tall-buildings/e1/)
- next →: [City birds: sparrows, starlings, swift…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/369-city-birds-sparrows-starlings-swifts-crows-and-peregrines-on-tall-buildings/e3/)
- ↑ back to [City birds: sparrows, starlings, swifts, crows and peregrines on tall buildings](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/369-city-birds-sparrows-starlings-swifts-crows-and-peregrines-on-tall-buildings/)