---
title: Ascertain the reason for which the cloning of dinosaurs from insects… — Fossils: how we know about life long ago · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the reason for which the cloning of dinosaurs from insects preserved in amber is not possible. Exam question 4 of lesson 74 «Fossils: how we know about life long ago» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option;
---

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# Exam question 4 · Fossils: how we know about life long ago

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the reason for which the cloning of dinosaurs from insects preserved in amber is not possible.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, cloning · **What happens:** ascertain, preserve, not be · **To what, where:** reason, insects, amber

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 74 «Fossils: how we know about life long ago» 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/74-fossils-life-long-ago/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:74-fossils-life-long-ago:e4:1
# text = Ascertain the reason for which the cloning of dinosaurs from insects preserved in amber is not possible.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	17	obl	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	cloning	cloning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nsubj	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	dinosaurs	dinosaur	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nmod	_	_
10	from	from	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	insects	insect	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nmod	_	_
12	preserved	preserve	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	11	acl	_	_
13	in	in	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	amber	amber	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	_
15	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	17	cop	_	_
16	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	17	advmod	_	_
17	possible	possible	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	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 reason |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent reason=Topic |
| 2 | **preserve** | participle |  | insects *not said here* |  | amber |  |  | vn defend-72.3 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **not** **is** | present | the cloning of dinosaurs from insects |  |  |  |  | for the reason; possible *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .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 -->
Amber is too hard to be cut by any laboratory instruments presently available

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:74-fossils-life-long-ago:e4:o1:1
# text = Amber is too hard to be cut by any laboratory instruments presently available
1	Amber	amber	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	too	too	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	hard	hard	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
6	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	cut	cut	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	advcl	_	_
8	by	by	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	11	det	_	_
10	laboratory	laboratory	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	instruments	instrument	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl	_	_
12	presently	presently	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
13	available	available	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Amber |  |  |  |  | hard *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **cut** | to-infinitive · passive | any laboratory instruments |  |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The cloning of any animal is prohibited by the laws of physics

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:74-fossils-life-long-ago:e4:o2:1
# text = The cloning of any animal is prohibited by the laws of physics
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	cloning	cloning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	5	det	_	_
5	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	prohibited	prohibit	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
8	by	by	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	laws	law	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	physics	physics	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **prohibit** | present · passive | the laws of physics | the cloning of any animal |  |  |  |  | vn forbid-64.4-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Causer subject=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Genetic material degrades far too rapidly to persist for such a period

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:74-fossils-life-long-ago:e4:o3:1
# text = Genetic material degrades far too rapidly to persist for such a period
1	Genetic	genetic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	material	material	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	degrades	degrade	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	far	far	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	6	advmod	_	_
5	too	too	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	rapidly	rapidly	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	persist	persist	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	advcl	_	_
9	for	for	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
10	such	such	DET	PDT	PronType=Ind	12	det:predet	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	period	period	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **degrade** | present | Genetic material |  |  |  |  | rapidly *property* | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **persist** | to-infinitive | Genetic material *not said here* |  |  |  |  | for such period | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Insects preserved in amber never fed upon dinosaurs

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:74-fossils-life-long-ago:e4:o4:1
# text = Insects preserved in amber never fed upon dinosaurs
1	Insects	insect	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	preserved	preserve	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	1	acl	_	_
3	in	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	amber	amber	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
5	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	6	advmod	_	_
6	fed	feed	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
7	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	dinosaurs	dinosaur	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **preserve** | participle |  | Insects *not said here* |  | amber |  |  | vn defend-72.3 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **not** **feed** | participle · passive |  | Insects |  |  |  | upon dinosaurs | vn feeding-39.7 «NP V NP»: subject=Recipient |

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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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- ← previous: [Fossils: how we know about life long ago, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/74-fossils-life-long-ago/e3/)
- next →: [Dinosaurs: kinds, sizes and how they l…, test 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/75-dinosaurs-kinds-sizes-and-lives/t1/)
- ↑ back to [Fossils: how we know about life long ago](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/74-fossils-life-long-ago/)