---
title: Identify the principal reason for which a tardigrade may survive des… — The axolotl, the tardigrade and the ma… · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal reason for which a tardigrade may survive desiccation for a period of years. Exam question 2 of lesson 44 «The axolotl, the tardigrade and the mantis shrimp» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each opt
---

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# Exam question 2 · The axolotl, the tardigrade and the mantis shrimp

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal reason for which a tardigrade may survive desiccation for a period of years.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** you, tardigrade · **What happens:** identify, survive · **To what, where:** principal reason, desiccation

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 44 «The axolotl, the tardigrade and the mantis shrimp» 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/44-axolotl-tardigrade-mantis-shrimp/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:44-axolotl-tardigrade-mantis-shrimp:e2:1
# text = Identify the principal reason for which a tardigrade may survive desiccation for a period of years.
1	Identify	identify	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	principal	principal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	10	obl	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	tardigrade	tardigrade	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
9	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
10	survive	survive	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	acl:relcl	_	_
11	desiccation	desiccation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
12	for	for	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	period	period	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
15	of	of	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
16	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **identify** | imperative | you *not said here* | the principal reason |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent reason=Theme |
| 2 | **survive** | may | a tardigrade | desiccation |  |  |  | for the principal reason; for a period of years | vn exist-47.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme desiccation=Circumstance |

<!-- .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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It contracts into a tun, in which its bodily processes almost cease

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:44-axolotl-tardigrade-mantis-shrimp:e2:o1:1
# text = It contracts into a tun, in which its bodily processes almost cease
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	contracts	contract	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	into	into	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	tun	tun	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	13	obl	_	_
9	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
10	bodily	bodily	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	processes	process	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	nsubj	_	_
12	almost	almost	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
13	cease	cease	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **contract** | present | It |  |  |  |  | into a tun *result* | vn bend-45.2 «NP V NP PP.result»: agent=Agent into tun=Result |
| 2 | **cease** | present | tun's bodily processes |  |  |  |  | almost *property* | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |
| 3 | **process** |  | tun |  |  |  |  |  | nom process «act transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It burrows down to such great depths that water there is never absent

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:44-axolotl-tardigrade-mantis-shrimp:e2:o2:1
# text = It burrows down to such great depths that water there is never absent
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	burrows	burrow	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
3	down	down	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
4	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	such	such	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
6	great	great	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	depths	depth	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nmod	_	_
8	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	9	det	_	_
9	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	11	expl	_	_
11	is	be	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	acl:relcl	_	_
12	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	13	advmod	_	_
13	absent	absent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **be** | present | burrows to such great depths *not said here* |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It stores within its body a reserve of water sufficient for many years

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:44-axolotl-tardigrade-mantis-shrimp:e2:o3:1
# text = It stores within its body a reserve of water sufficient for many years
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	stores	store	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	within	within	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	body	body	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	reserve	reserve	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
10	sufficient	sufficient	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	conj	_	_
11	for	for	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **store** | present | It | a reserve of water |  |  |  | within its body | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent reserve=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is constructed of a material which no force upon Earth can destroy

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:44-axolotl-tardigrade-mantis-shrimp:e2:o4:1
# text = It is constructed of a material which no force upon Earth can destroy
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	constructed	construct	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	material	material	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	13	obj	_	_
8	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	9	det	_	_
9	force	force	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
10	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	Earth	Earth	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
12	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	13	aux	_	_
13	destroy	destroy	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **construct** | present · passive |  | It |  |  |  | of a material | vn create-26.4 «NP V NP»: subject=Result |
| 2 | **destroy** | can | no force upon Earth | a material |  |  |  |  | vn destroy-44 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent which=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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- ↑ back to [The axolotl, the tardigrade and the mantis shrimp](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/44-axolotl-tardigrade-mantis-shrimp/)