---
title: It is given that a healthy rabbit produces several hundred hard drop… — Poo, wee and smells: rabbits that eat… · tree and pragmatics
description: It is given that a healthy rabbit produces several hundred hard droppings daily. Ascertain the purpose served by its soft droppings. Exam question 4 of lesson 398 «Poo, wee and smells: rabbits that eat their droppings, dung beetles and the smelliest animals» of the biology course of Mova's primary s
---

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# Exam question 4 · Poo, wee and smells: rabbits that eat their droppings, dun…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is given that a healthy rabbit produces several hundred hard droppings daily. Ascertain the purpose served by its soft droppings.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** healthy rabbit, you · **What happens:** give, produce, ascertain, serve · **To what, where:** It, several hundred hard droppings, purpose

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 398 «Poo, wee and smells: rabbits that eat their droppings, dung beetles and the smelliest animals» 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/398-poo-wee-and-smells-rabbits-that-eat-their-droppings-dung-beetles-and-the-smelliest-animals/#e4).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* It is given that a healthy rabbit produces several hundred hard droppings daily.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:398-poo-wee-and-smells-rabbits-that-eat-their-droppings-dung-beetles-and-the-smelliest-animals:e4:1
# text = It is given that a healthy rabbit produces several hundred hard droppings daily.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	healthy	healthy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	rabbit	rabbit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
8	produces	produce	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
9	several	several	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
10	hundred	hundred	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	12	nummod	_	_
11	hard	hard	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	droppings	dropping	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obj	_	_
13	daily	daily	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | present · passive |  | It |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **produce** | present | a healthy rabbit | several hundred hard droppings |  |  |  | daily *property* | vn create-26.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent dropping=Result |

<!-- .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:* Ascertain the purpose served by its soft droppings.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:398-poo-wee-and-smells-rabbits-that-eat-their-droppings-dung-beetles-and-the-smelliest-animals:e4:2
# text = Ascertain the purpose served by its soft droppings.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	purpose	purpose	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	served	serve	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	acl	_	_
5	by	by	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
7	soft	soft	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	droppings	dropping	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	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 purpose |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent purpose=Topic |
| 2 | **serve** | participle |  | the purpose *not said here* |  |  |  | by purpose's soft droppings | vn masquerade-29.6-2 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Agent |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They are fed to the young exclusively

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:398-poo-wee-and-smells-rabbits-that-eat-their-droppings-dung-beetles-and-the-smelliest-animals:e4:o1:1
# text = They are fed to the young exclusively
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	fed	feed	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	young	young	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	exclusively	exclusively	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **feed** | present · passive |  | They | the young |  |  | exclusively *property* | vn feeding-39.7 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: subject=Theme to young=Recipient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They are consumed in order to extract further nourishment from the food

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:398-poo-wee-and-smells-rabbits-that-eat-their-droppings-dung-beetles-and-the-smelliest-animals:e4:o2:1
# text = They are consumed in order to extract further nourishment from the food
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	consumed	consume	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	order	order	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	extract	extract	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	advcl	_	_
8	further	further	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	nourishment	nourishment	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	from	from	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **consume** | present · passive |  | They |  | order |  |  | vn consume-66 «NP V NP»: subject=Asset |
| 2 | **extract** | to-infinitive |  | further nourishment |  | the food |  |  | vn remove-10.1 «NP V NP PP»: agent=Agent nourishment=Theme from food=Initial\_Location |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They are discarded as being of no use

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:398-poo-wee-and-smells-rabbits-that-eat-their-droppings-dung-beetles-and-the-smelliest-animals:e4:o3:1
# text = They are discarded as being of no use
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	discarded	discard	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	as	as	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
5	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	8	cop	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	8	det	_	_
8	use	use	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **discard** | present · passive |  | They |  |  |  |  | vn throw-17.1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | as no use | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They are employed to mark the boundaries of territory

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:398-poo-wee-and-smells-rabbits-that-eat-their-droppings-dung-beetles-and-the-smelliest-animals:e4:o4:1
# text = They are employed to mark the boundaries of territory
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	employed	employ	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	mark	mark	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	boundaries	boundary	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	territory	territory	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **employ** | present · passive |  | They |  |  |  |  | vn hire-13.5.3 «NP V NP to be NP»: subject=Theme clause=Attribute |
| 2 | **mark** | to-infinitive |  | the boundaries of territory |  |  |  |  | vn image\_impression-25.1 «NP V NP.destination»: agent=Agent boundary=Destination |

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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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