CLAT Exam  >  CLAT Questions  >  Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully... Start Learning for Free
Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.
Our unlikely childhoods begin well before gametes meet. As part of our social organisation, humans have a specific type of mating system, a form of reproduction that scaffolds the relationships between animals in our society in a specific way, with specific aims. Despite a tendency by a certain insidious strand of pseudo-intellectual internet bile to use pseudo-scientific terms such as ‘alpha males’ and ‘beta males’ for human interactions, our species is in fact rather charmingly non-competitive when it comes to mating.
While it may be difficult to believe that humans are largely tedious monogamists, our pair-bonded nature is a story written in our physical beings. Not for us the costly evolutionary displays of the male hamadryas baboon, who grows his fangs to 400 times those of his female relatives in order to show off and fight for mates. (Male human fangs are, in fact, slightly bigger than females – but only about 7 per cent, which is nothing in animal terms.) Furthermore, in animals with more competitive strategies for mating – ones where there is any extra advantage in remaining coupled, depositing sperm, or preventing other couplings from happening – evolution has provided an array of genital morphologies ranging from penis bones and spikes to outsized testes. Humans lack distinction in any measure of genitalia so far studied, though it is worth noting that most anthropologists have chosen to focus on male genitalia, so surprises may remain in store for future research.
This physical lack of difference between sexes sets up a social system that is, in animal terms, weird: pair bonding. Virtually no other animals reproduce in pair bonds – only about 5 per cent, if you discount birds, who do go for pairing in a big way. But an outsize proportion of primates opt for this monogamous arrangement, about 15 per cent of species, including, of course, our own. There are a variety of evolutionary theories for why pair bonding should appeal so much to primates, including maintaining access to females that roam, supporting offspring, or increasing certainty about paternity. One prominent theory is that pair-bonded males have less motivation for infanticide, though as the anthropologist Holly Dunsworth pointed out in her Aeon essay ‘Sex Makes Babies’ (2017), this does suggest a type of understanding in primates that we don’t always even ascribe to other humans. Other theories point to female roaming requiring a pairing system so mating opportunities aren’t lost whenever she moves on. Pair bonding has emerged perhaps as many as four separate times in the primate family, suggesting that the motivation for the invention of the mate may not be the same in all monkeys. What does seem clear is that humans have opted for a mating system that doesn’t go in as much for competition as it does for care. The evolution of ‘dads’ – our casual word for the pair of helping hands that, in humans, fits a very broad range of people – may in fact be the only solution to the crisis that is the most important feature of human babies: they are off-the-scale demanding.
Q. What is the nearest opposite (antonym) for the term "tedious" as employed in the passage?
  • a)
    Exciting
  • b)
    Monotonous
  • c)
    Engaging
  • d)
    Boring
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
Most Upvoted Answer
Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully and answer the questions...
Understanding "Tedious"
The term "tedious" in the passage refers to something that is dull, monotonous, or lacking in excitement. In the context of the passage, it characterizes humans as largely non-competitive and somewhat predictable in their mating behaviors.
Identifying the Antonym
The correct answer is option 'A' - "Exciting." Here's why:
  • Definition of Tedious: Tedious implies a situation or behavior that is boring or tiresome due to its lack of variety or interest.
  • Meaning of Exciting: Exciting, on the other hand, signifies something that is stimulating, thrilling, or filled with energy and interest.
  • Comparison: While "monotonous," "boring," and "engaging" can relate to tediousness, they do not provide a direct antonym. "Monotonous" and "boring" reinforce the idea of dullness, while "engaging" could imply a level of interest but does not directly oppose tediousness.

Conclusion
In summary, "exciting" stands out as the nearest opposite of "tedious" because it encapsulates the essence of being lively and stimulating, contrasting sharply with the dullness implied by "tedious." This distinction highlights the non-competitive nature of human mating as described in the passage.
Free Test
Community Answer
Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully and answer the questions...
Contrary to popular opinion, the word "tedious" in the passage refers to the idea that most people are monogamous. Given that it suggests attention, curiosity, or captivation, "engaging" would be the closest synonym for "tedious." The right response is therefore A) Engaging.
Explore Courses for CLAT exam

Similar CLAT Doubts

Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.Our unlikely childhoods begin well before gametes meet. As part of our social organisation, humans have a specific type of mating system, a form of reproduction that scaffolds the relationships between animals in our society in a specific way, with specific aims. Despite a tendency by a certain insidious strand of pseudo-intellectual internet bile to use pseudo-scientific terms such as ‘alpha males’ and ‘beta males’ for human interactions, our species is in fact rather charmingly non-competitive when it comes to mating.While it may be difficult to believe that humans are largely tedious monogamists, our pair-bonded nature is a story written in our physical beings. Not for us the costly evolutionary displays of the male hamadryas baboon, who grows his fangs to 400 times those of his female relatives in order to show off and fight for mates. (Male human fangs are, in fact, slightly bigger than females – but only about 7 per cent, which is nothing in animal terms.) Furthermore, in animals with more competitive strategies for mating – ones where there is any extra advantage in remaining coupled, depositing sperm, or preventing other couplings from happening – evolution has provided an array of genital morphologies ranging from penis bones and spikes to outsized testes. Humans lack distinction in any measure of genitalia so far studied, though it is worth noting that most anthropologists have chosen to focus on male genitalia, so surprises may remain in store for future research.This physical lack of difference between sexes sets up a social system that is, in animal terms, weird: pair bonding. Virtually no other animals reproduce in pair bonds – only about 5 per cent, if you discount birds, who do go for pairing in a big way. But an outsize proportion of primates opt for this monogamous arrangement, about 15 per cent of species, including, of course, our own. There are a variety of evolutionary theories for why pair bonding should appeal so much to primates, including maintaining access to females that roam, supporting offspring, or increasing certainty about paternity. One prominent theory is that pair-bonded males have less motivation for infanticide, though as the anthropologist Holly Dunsworth pointed out in her Aeon essay ‘Sex Makes Babies’ (2017), this does suggest a type of understanding in primates that we don’t always even ascribe to other humans. Other theories point to female roaming requiring a pairing system so mating opportunities aren’t lost whenever she moves on. Pair bonding has emerged perhaps as many as four separate times in the primate family, suggesting that the motivation for the invention of the mate may not be the same in all monkeys. What does seem clear is that humans have opted for a mating system that doesn’t go in as much for competition as it does for care. The evolution of ‘dads’ – our casual word for the pair of helping hands that, in humans, fits a very broad range of people – may in fact be the only solution to the crisis that is the most important feature of human babies: they are off-the-scale demanding.Q.What is the central topic that the passage primarily addresses?

Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.Our unlikely childhoods begin well before gametes meet. As part of our social organisation, humans have a specific type of mating system, a form of reproduction that scaffolds the relationships between animals in our society in a specific way, with specific aims. Despite a tendency by a certain insidious strand of pseudo-intellectual internet bile to use pseudo-scientific terms such as ‘alpha males’ and ‘beta males’ for human interactions, our species is in fact rather charmingly non-competitive when it comes to mating.While it may be difficult to believe that humans are largely tedious monogamists, our pair-bonded nature is a story written in our physical beings. Not for us the costly evolutionary displays of the male hamadryas baboon, who grows his fangs to 400 times those of his female relatives in order to show off and fight for mates. (Male human fangs are, in fact, slightly bigger than females – but only about 7 per cent, which is nothing in animal terms.) Furthermore, in animals with more competitive strategies for mating – ones where there is any extra advantage in remaining coupled, depositing sperm, or preventing other couplings from happening – evolution has provided an array of genital morphologies ranging from penis bones and spikes to outsized testes. Humans lack distinction in any measure of genitalia so far studied, though it is worth noting that most anthropologists have chosen to focus on male genitalia, so surprises may remain in store for future research.This physical lack of difference between sexes sets up a social system that is, in animal terms, weird: pair bonding. Virtually no other animals reproduce in pair bonds – only about 5 per cent, if you discount birds, who do go for pairing in a big way. But an outsize proportion of primates opt for this monogamous arrangement, about 15 per cent of species, including, of course, our own. There are a variety of evolutionary theories for why pair bonding should appeal so much to primates, including maintaining access to females that roam, supporting offspring, or increasing certainty about paternity. One prominent theory is that pair-bonded males have less motivation for infanticide, though as the anthropologist Holly Dunsworth pointed out in her Aeon essay ‘Sex Makes Babies’ (2017), this does suggest a type of understanding in primates that we don’t always even ascribe to other humans. Other theories point to female roaming requiring a pairing system so mating opportunities aren’t lost whenever she moves on. Pair bonding has emerged perhaps as many as four separate times in the primate family, suggesting that the motivation for the invention of the mate may not be the same in all monkeys. What does seem clear is that humans have opted for a mating system that doesn’t go in as much for competition as it does for care. The evolution of ‘dads’ – our casual word for the pair of helping hands that, in humans, fits a very broad range of people – may in fact be the only solution to the crisis that is the most important feature of human babies: they are off-the-scale demanding.Q.How does the authors attitude come across when discussing the concept of pair bonding in humans?

Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.Our unlikely childhoods begin well before gametes meet. As part of our social organisation, humans have a specific type of mating system, a form of reproduction that scaffolds the relationships between animals in our society in a specific way, with specific aims. Despite a tendency by a certain insidious strand of pseudo-intellectual internet bile to use pseudo-scientific terms such as ‘alpha males’ and ‘beta males’ for human interactions, our species is in fact rather charmingly non-competitive when it comes to mating.While it may be difficult to believe that humans are largely tedious monogamists, our pair-bonded nature is a story written in our physical beings. Not for us the costly evolutionary displays of the male hamadryas baboon, who grows his fangs to 400 times those of his female relatives in order to show off and fight for mates. (Male human fangs are, in fact, slightly bigger than females – but only about 7 per cent, which is nothing in animal terms.) Furthermore, in animals with more competitive strategies for mating – ones where there is any extra advantage in remaining coupled, depositing sperm, or preventing other couplings from happening – evolution has provided an array of genital morphologies ranging from penis bones and spikes to outsized testes. Humans lack distinction in any measure of genitalia so far studied, though it is worth noting that most anthropologists have chosen to focus on male genitalia, so surprises may remain in store for future research.This physical lack of difference between sexes sets up a social system that is, in animal terms, weird: pair bonding. Virtually no other animals reproduce in pair bonds – only about 5 per cent, if you discount birds, who do go for pairing in a big way. But an outsize proportion of primates opt for this monogamous arrangement, about 15 per cent of species, including, of course, our own. There are a variety of evolutionary theories for why pair bonding should appeal so much to primates, including maintaining access to females that roam, supporting offspring, or increasing certainty about paternity. One prominent theory is that pair-bonded males have less motivation for infanticide, though as the anthropologist Holly Dunsworth pointed out in her Aeon essay ‘Sex Makes Babies’ (2017), this does suggest a type of understanding in primates that we don’t always even ascribe to other humans. Other theories point to female roaming requiring a pairing system so mating opportunities aren’t lost whenever she moves on. Pair bonding has emerged perhaps as many as four separate times in the primate family, suggesting that the motivation for the invention of the mate may not be the same in all monkeys. What does seem clear is that humans have opted for a mating system that doesn’t go in as much for competition as it does for care. The evolution of ‘dads’ – our casual word for the pair of helping hands that, in humans, fits a very broad range of people – may in fact be the only solution to the crisis that is the most important feature of human babies: they are off-the-scale demanding.Q.What is one of the suggested reasons for the emergence of pair bonding in primates, including humans, according to the passage?

Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.Our unlikely childhoods begin well before gametes meet. As part of our social organisation, humans have a specific type of mating system, a form of reproduction that scaffolds the relationships between animals in our society in a specific way, with specific aims. Despite a tendency by a certain insidious strand of pseudo-intellectual internet bile to use pseudo-scientific terms such as ‘alpha males’ and ‘beta males’ for human interactions, our species is in fact rather charmingly non-competitive when it comes to mating.While it may be difficult to believe that humans are largely tedious monogamists, our pair-bonded nature is a story written in our physical beings. Not for us the costly evolutionary displays of the male hamadryas baboon, who grows his fangs to 400 times those of his female relatives in order to show off and fight for mates. (Male human fangs are, in fact, slightly bigger than females – but only about 7 per cent, which is nothing in animal terms.) Furthermore, in animals with more competitive strategies for mating – ones where there is any extra advantage in remaining coupled, depositing sperm, or preventing other couplings from happening – evolution has provided an array of genital morphologies ranging from penis bones and spikes to outsized testes. Humans lack distinction in any measure of genitalia so far studied, though it is worth noting that most anthropologists have chosen to focus on male genitalia, so surprises may remain in store for future research.This physical lack of difference between sexes sets up a social system that is, in animal terms, weird: pair bonding. Virtually no other animals reproduce in pair bonds – only about 5 per cent, if you discount birds, who do go for pairing in a big way. But an outsize proportion of primates opt for this monogamous arrangement, about 15 per cent of species, including, of course, our own. There are a variety of evolutionary theories for why pair bonding should appeal so much to primates, including maintaining access to females that roam, supporting offspring, or increasing certainty about paternity. One prominent theory is that pair-bonded males have less motivation for infanticide, though as the anthropologist Holly Dunsworth pointed out in her Aeon essay ‘Sex Makes Babies’ (2017), this does suggest a type of understanding in primates that we don’t always even ascribe to other humans. Other theories point to female roaming requiring a pairing system so mating opportunities aren’t lost whenever she moves on. Pair bonding has emerged perhaps as many as four separate times in the primate family, suggesting that the motivation for the invention of the mate may not be the same in all monkeys. What does seem clear is that humans have opted for a mating system that doesn’t go in as much for competition as it does for care. The evolution of ‘dads’ – our casual word for the pair of helping hands that, in humans, fits a very broad range of people – may in fact be the only solution to the crisis that is the most important feature of human babies: they are off-the-scale demanding.Q.What is the primary focus of the passage regarding human mating and reproduction?

Passage:Management is a set of processesthat can keep a complicated system of people and technology running smoothly. The most important aspects of management include planning, budgeting, organizing, staffing, controlling, and problem-solving. Leadership is a set of processes that creates organisations in the first place or adapts them to significantly changing circumstances. Leadership defines what the future should look like, aligns people with that vision, and inspires them to make it happen despite the obstacles. This distinction is absolutely crucial for our purposes here: Successful transformation is 70 to 90 per cent leadership and only 10 to 30 per cent management. Yet for historical reasons, many organisations today don‘t have much leadership. And almost everyone thinks about the problems here as one of managing change. For most of this century, as we created thousands and thousands of large organizations for the first time in human history, we didn‘t have enough good managers to keep all those burrreaucracies functioning. So many companies and universities developed management programmes, and hundreds and thousands of people were encouraged to learn management on the job. And they did. But, people were taught little about leadership. To some degree, management was emphasized because it‘s easier to teach than leadership. But even more so, management was the main item on the twentieth-century agenda because that‘s what was needed. For every entrepreneur or business builder who was a leader, we needed hundreds of managers to run their ever growing enterprises. Unfortunately for us today, this emphasis on management has often been institutionalized in corporate cultures that discourage employees from learning how to lead. Ironically, past success is usually the key ingredient in producing this outcome.The syndrome, as I have observed it on many occasions, goes like this: success creates some degree of market dominance, which in turn produces much growth. After a while keeping the ever larger organizations under control becomes the primary challenge. So attention turns inward, and managerial competencies are nurtured. With a strong emphasis on management but not on leadership, bureaucracy and an inward focus take over. But with continued success, the result mostly of market dominance, the problem often goes unaddressed and an unhealthy arrogance begins to evolve. All of these characteristics then make any transformation effort much more difficult. Arrogant managers can over- evaluate their current performance and competitive position, listen poorly, and learn slowly. Inwardly focused employees can have difficulty seeing the very forces that present threats and opportunities.Bureaucratic cultures an smother those who want to respond to shifting conditions. And the lack of leadership leaves no fore inside these organizations to break out of the morass.Q.In the passage, management is equated with

Top Courses for CLAT

Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.Our unlikely childhoods begin well before gametes meet. As part of our social organisation, humans have a specific type of mating system, a form of reproduction that scaffolds the relationships between animals in our society in a specific way, with specific aims. Despite a tendency by a certain insidious strand of pseudo-intellectual internet bile to use pseudo-scientific terms such as ‘alpha males’ and ‘beta males’ for human interactions, our species is in fact rather charmingly non-competitive when it comes to mating.While it may be difficult to believe that humans are largely tedious monogamists, our pair-bonded nature is a story written in our physical beings. Not for us the costly evolutionary displays of the male hamadryas baboon, who grows his fangs to 400 times those of his female relatives in order to show off and fight for mates. (Male human fangs are, in fact, slightly bigger than females – but only about 7 per cent, which is nothing in animal terms.) Furthermore, in animals with more competitive strategies for mating – ones where there is any extra advantage in remaining coupled, depositing sperm, or preventing other couplings from happening – evolution has provided an array of genital morphologies ranging from penis bones and spikes to outsized testes. Humans lack distinction in any measure of genitalia so far studied, though it is worth noting that most anthropologists have chosen to focus on male genitalia, so surprises may remain in store for future research.This physical lack of difference between sexes sets up a social system that is, in animal terms, weird: pair bonding. Virtually no other animals reproduce in pair bonds – only about 5 per cent, if you discount birds, who do go for pairing in a big way. But an outsize proportion of primates opt for this monogamous arrangement, about 15 per cent of species, including, of course, our own. There are a variety of evolutionary theories for why pair bonding should appeal so much to primates, including maintaining access to females that roam, supporting offspring, or increasing certainty about paternity. One prominent theory is that pair-bonded males have less motivation for infanticide, though as the anthropologist Holly Dunsworth pointed out in her Aeon essay ‘Sex Makes Babies’ (2017), this does suggest a type of understanding in primates that we don’t always even ascribe to other humans. Other theories point to female roaming requiring a pairing system so mating opportunities aren’t lost whenever she moves on. Pair bonding has emerged perhaps as many as four separate times in the primate family, suggesting that the motivation for the invention of the mate may not be the same in all monkeys. What does seem clear is that humans have opted for a mating system that doesn’t go in as much for competition as it does for care. The evolution of ‘dads’ – our casual word for the pair of helping hands that, in humans, fits a very broad range of people – may in fact be the only solution to the crisis that is the most important feature of human babies: they are off-the-scale demanding.Q.What is the nearest opposite (antonym) for the term "tedious" as employed in the passage?a)Excitingb)Monotonousc)Engagingd)BoringCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
Question Description
Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.Our unlikely childhoods begin well before gametes meet. As part of our social organisation, humans have a specific type of mating system, a form of reproduction that scaffolds the relationships between animals in our society in a specific way, with specific aims. Despite a tendency by a certain insidious strand of pseudo-intellectual internet bile to use pseudo-scientific terms such as ‘alpha males’ and ‘beta males’ for human interactions, our species is in fact rather charmingly non-competitive when it comes to mating.While it may be difficult to believe that humans are largely tedious monogamists, our pair-bonded nature is a story written in our physical beings. Not for us the costly evolutionary displays of the male hamadryas baboon, who grows his fangs to 400 times those of his female relatives in order to show off and fight for mates. (Male human fangs are, in fact, slightly bigger than females – but only about 7 per cent, which is nothing in animal terms.) Furthermore, in animals with more competitive strategies for mating – ones where there is any extra advantage in remaining coupled, depositing sperm, or preventing other couplings from happening – evolution has provided an array of genital morphologies ranging from penis bones and spikes to outsized testes. Humans lack distinction in any measure of genitalia so far studied, though it is worth noting that most anthropologists have chosen to focus on male genitalia, so surprises may remain in store for future research.This physical lack of difference between sexes sets up a social system that is, in animal terms, weird: pair bonding. Virtually no other animals reproduce in pair bonds – only about 5 per cent, if you discount birds, who do go for pairing in a big way. But an outsize proportion of primates opt for this monogamous arrangement, about 15 per cent of species, including, of course, our own. There are a variety of evolutionary theories for why pair bonding should appeal so much to primates, including maintaining access to females that roam, supporting offspring, or increasing certainty about paternity. One prominent theory is that pair-bonded males have less motivation for infanticide, though as the anthropologist Holly Dunsworth pointed out in her Aeon essay ‘Sex Makes Babies’ (2017), this does suggest a type of understanding in primates that we don’t always even ascribe to other humans. Other theories point to female roaming requiring a pairing system so mating opportunities aren’t lost whenever she moves on. Pair bonding has emerged perhaps as many as four separate times in the primate family, suggesting that the motivation for the invention of the mate may not be the same in all monkeys. What does seem clear is that humans have opted for a mating system that doesn’t go in as much for competition as it does for care. The evolution of ‘dads’ – our casual word for the pair of helping hands that, in humans, fits a very broad range of people – may in fact be the only solution to the crisis that is the most important feature of human babies: they are off-the-scale demanding.Q.What is the nearest opposite (antonym) for the term "tedious" as employed in the passage?a)Excitingb)Monotonousc)Engagingd)BoringCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? for CLAT 2025 is part of CLAT preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the CLAT exam syllabus. Information about Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.Our unlikely childhoods begin well before gametes meet. As part of our social organisation, humans have a specific type of mating system, a form of reproduction that scaffolds the relationships between animals in our society in a specific way, with specific aims. Despite a tendency by a certain insidious strand of pseudo-intellectual internet bile to use pseudo-scientific terms such as ‘alpha males’ and ‘beta males’ for human interactions, our species is in fact rather charmingly non-competitive when it comes to mating.While it may be difficult to believe that humans are largely tedious monogamists, our pair-bonded nature is a story written in our physical beings. Not for us the costly evolutionary displays of the male hamadryas baboon, who grows his fangs to 400 times those of his female relatives in order to show off and fight for mates. (Male human fangs are, in fact, slightly bigger than females – but only about 7 per cent, which is nothing in animal terms.) Furthermore, in animals with more competitive strategies for mating – ones where there is any extra advantage in remaining coupled, depositing sperm, or preventing other couplings from happening – evolution has provided an array of genital morphologies ranging from penis bones and spikes to outsized testes. Humans lack distinction in any measure of genitalia so far studied, though it is worth noting that most anthropologists have chosen to focus on male genitalia, so surprises may remain in store for future research.This physical lack of difference between sexes sets up a social system that is, in animal terms, weird: pair bonding. Virtually no other animals reproduce in pair bonds – only about 5 per cent, if you discount birds, who do go for pairing in a big way. But an outsize proportion of primates opt for this monogamous arrangement, about 15 per cent of species, including, of course, our own. There are a variety of evolutionary theories for why pair bonding should appeal so much to primates, including maintaining access to females that roam, supporting offspring, or increasing certainty about paternity. One prominent theory is that pair-bonded males have less motivation for infanticide, though as the anthropologist Holly Dunsworth pointed out in her Aeon essay ‘Sex Makes Babies’ (2017), this does suggest a type of understanding in primates that we don’t always even ascribe to other humans. Other theories point to female roaming requiring a pairing system so mating opportunities aren’t lost whenever she moves on. Pair bonding has emerged perhaps as many as four separate times in the primate family, suggesting that the motivation for the invention of the mate may not be the same in all monkeys. What does seem clear is that humans have opted for a mating system that doesn’t go in as much for competition as it does for care. The evolution of ‘dads’ – our casual word for the pair of helping hands that, in humans, fits a very broad range of people – may in fact be the only solution to the crisis that is the most important feature of human babies: they are off-the-scale demanding.Q.What is the nearest opposite (antonym) for the term "tedious" as employed in the passage?a)Excitingb)Monotonousc)Engagingd)BoringCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for CLAT 2025 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.Our unlikely childhoods begin well before gametes meet. As part of our social organisation, humans have a specific type of mating system, a form of reproduction that scaffolds the relationships between animals in our society in a specific way, with specific aims. Despite a tendency by a certain insidious strand of pseudo-intellectual internet bile to use pseudo-scientific terms such as ‘alpha males’ and ‘beta males’ for human interactions, our species is in fact rather charmingly non-competitive when it comes to mating.While it may be difficult to believe that humans are largely tedious monogamists, our pair-bonded nature is a story written in our physical beings. Not for us the costly evolutionary displays of the male hamadryas baboon, who grows his fangs to 400 times those of his female relatives in order to show off and fight for mates. (Male human fangs are, in fact, slightly bigger than females – but only about 7 per cent, which is nothing in animal terms.) Furthermore, in animals with more competitive strategies for mating – ones where there is any extra advantage in remaining coupled, depositing sperm, or preventing other couplings from happening – evolution has provided an array of genital morphologies ranging from penis bones and spikes to outsized testes. Humans lack distinction in any measure of genitalia so far studied, though it is worth noting that most anthropologists have chosen to focus on male genitalia, so surprises may remain in store for future research.This physical lack of difference between sexes sets up a social system that is, in animal terms, weird: pair bonding. Virtually no other animals reproduce in pair bonds – only about 5 per cent, if you discount birds, who do go for pairing in a big way. But an outsize proportion of primates opt for this monogamous arrangement, about 15 per cent of species, including, of course, our own. There are a variety of evolutionary theories for why pair bonding should appeal so much to primates, including maintaining access to females that roam, supporting offspring, or increasing certainty about paternity. One prominent theory is that pair-bonded males have less motivation for infanticide, though as the anthropologist Holly Dunsworth pointed out in her Aeon essay ‘Sex Makes Babies’ (2017), this does suggest a type of understanding in primates that we don’t always even ascribe to other humans. Other theories point to female roaming requiring a pairing system so mating opportunities aren’t lost whenever she moves on. Pair bonding has emerged perhaps as many as four separate times in the primate family, suggesting that the motivation for the invention of the mate may not be the same in all monkeys. What does seem clear is that humans have opted for a mating system that doesn’t go in as much for competition as it does for care. The evolution of ‘dads’ – our casual word for the pair of helping hands that, in humans, fits a very broad range of people – may in fact be the only solution to the crisis that is the most important feature of human babies: they are off-the-scale demanding.Q.What is the nearest opposite (antonym) for the term "tedious" as employed in the passage?a)Excitingb)Monotonousc)Engagingd)BoringCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?.
Solutions for Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.Our unlikely childhoods begin well before gametes meet. As part of our social organisation, humans have a specific type of mating system, a form of reproduction that scaffolds the relationships between animals in our society in a specific way, with specific aims. Despite a tendency by a certain insidious strand of pseudo-intellectual internet bile to use pseudo-scientific terms such as ‘alpha males’ and ‘beta males’ for human interactions, our species is in fact rather charmingly non-competitive when it comes to mating.While it may be difficult to believe that humans are largely tedious monogamists, our pair-bonded nature is a story written in our physical beings. Not for us the costly evolutionary displays of the male hamadryas baboon, who grows his fangs to 400 times those of his female relatives in order to show off and fight for mates. (Male human fangs are, in fact, slightly bigger than females – but only about 7 per cent, which is nothing in animal terms.) Furthermore, in animals with more competitive strategies for mating – ones where there is any extra advantage in remaining coupled, depositing sperm, or preventing other couplings from happening – evolution has provided an array of genital morphologies ranging from penis bones and spikes to outsized testes. Humans lack distinction in any measure of genitalia so far studied, though it is worth noting that most anthropologists have chosen to focus on male genitalia, so surprises may remain in store for future research.This physical lack of difference between sexes sets up a social system that is, in animal terms, weird: pair bonding. Virtually no other animals reproduce in pair bonds – only about 5 per cent, if you discount birds, who do go for pairing in a big way. But an outsize proportion of primates opt for this monogamous arrangement, about 15 per cent of species, including, of course, our own. There are a variety of evolutionary theories for why pair bonding should appeal so much to primates, including maintaining access to females that roam, supporting offspring, or increasing certainty about paternity. One prominent theory is that pair-bonded males have less motivation for infanticide, though as the anthropologist Holly Dunsworth pointed out in her Aeon essay ‘Sex Makes Babies’ (2017), this does suggest a type of understanding in primates that we don’t always even ascribe to other humans. Other theories point to female roaming requiring a pairing system so mating opportunities aren’t lost whenever she moves on. Pair bonding has emerged perhaps as many as four separate times in the primate family, suggesting that the motivation for the invention of the mate may not be the same in all monkeys. What does seem clear is that humans have opted for a mating system that doesn’t go in as much for competition as it does for care. The evolution of ‘dads’ – our casual word for the pair of helping hands that, in humans, fits a very broad range of people – may in fact be the only solution to the crisis that is the most important feature of human babies: they are off-the-scale demanding.Q.What is the nearest opposite (antonym) for the term "tedious" as employed in the passage?a)Excitingb)Monotonousc)Engagingd)BoringCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for CLAT. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for CLAT Exam by signing up for free.
Here you can find the meaning of Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.Our unlikely childhoods begin well before gametes meet. As part of our social organisation, humans have a specific type of mating system, a form of reproduction that scaffolds the relationships between animals in our society in a specific way, with specific aims. Despite a tendency by a certain insidious strand of pseudo-intellectual internet bile to use pseudo-scientific terms such as ‘alpha males’ and ‘beta males’ for human interactions, our species is in fact rather charmingly non-competitive when it comes to mating.While it may be difficult to believe that humans are largely tedious monogamists, our pair-bonded nature is a story written in our physical beings. Not for us the costly evolutionary displays of the male hamadryas baboon, who grows his fangs to 400 times those of his female relatives in order to show off and fight for mates. (Male human fangs are, in fact, slightly bigger than females – but only about 7 per cent, which is nothing in animal terms.) Furthermore, in animals with more competitive strategies for mating – ones where there is any extra advantage in remaining coupled, depositing sperm, or preventing other couplings from happening – evolution has provided an array of genital morphologies ranging from penis bones and spikes to outsized testes. Humans lack distinction in any measure of genitalia so far studied, though it is worth noting that most anthropologists have chosen to focus on male genitalia, so surprises may remain in store for future research.This physical lack of difference between sexes sets up a social system that is, in animal terms, weird: pair bonding. Virtually no other animals reproduce in pair bonds – only about 5 per cent, if you discount birds, who do go for pairing in a big way. But an outsize proportion of primates opt for this monogamous arrangement, about 15 per cent of species, including, of course, our own. There are a variety of evolutionary theories for why pair bonding should appeal so much to primates, including maintaining access to females that roam, supporting offspring, or increasing certainty about paternity. One prominent theory is that pair-bonded males have less motivation for infanticide, though as the anthropologist Holly Dunsworth pointed out in her Aeon essay ‘Sex Makes Babies’ (2017), this does suggest a type of understanding in primates that we don’t always even ascribe to other humans. Other theories point to female roaming requiring a pairing system so mating opportunities aren’t lost whenever she moves on. Pair bonding has emerged perhaps as many as four separate times in the primate family, suggesting that the motivation for the invention of the mate may not be the same in all monkeys. What does seem clear is that humans have opted for a mating system that doesn’t go in as much for competition as it does for care. The evolution of ‘dads’ – our casual word for the pair of helping hands that, in humans, fits a very broad range of people – may in fact be the only solution to the crisis that is the most important feature of human babies: they are off-the-scale demanding.Q.What is the nearest opposite (antonym) for the term "tedious" as employed in the passage?a)Excitingb)Monotonousc)Engagingd)BoringCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.Our unlikely childhoods begin well before gametes meet. As part of our social organisation, humans have a specific type of mating system, a form of reproduction that scaffolds the relationships between animals in our society in a specific way, with specific aims. Despite a tendency by a certain insidious strand of pseudo-intellectual internet bile to use pseudo-scientific terms such as ‘alpha males’ and ‘beta males’ for human interactions, our species is in fact rather charmingly non-competitive when it comes to mating.While it may be difficult to believe that humans are largely tedious monogamists, our pair-bonded nature is a story written in our physical beings. Not for us the costly evolutionary displays of the male hamadryas baboon, who grows his fangs to 400 times those of his female relatives in order to show off and fight for mates. (Male human fangs are, in fact, slightly bigger than females – but only about 7 per cent, which is nothing in animal terms.) Furthermore, in animals with more competitive strategies for mating – ones where there is any extra advantage in remaining coupled, depositing sperm, or preventing other couplings from happening – evolution has provided an array of genital morphologies ranging from penis bones and spikes to outsized testes. Humans lack distinction in any measure of genitalia so far studied, though it is worth noting that most anthropologists have chosen to focus on male genitalia, so surprises may remain in store for future research.This physical lack of difference between sexes sets up a social system that is, in animal terms, weird: pair bonding. Virtually no other animals reproduce in pair bonds – only about 5 per cent, if you discount birds, who do go for pairing in a big way. But an outsize proportion of primates opt for this monogamous arrangement, about 15 per cent of species, including, of course, our own. There are a variety of evolutionary theories for why pair bonding should appeal so much to primates, including maintaining access to females that roam, supporting offspring, or increasing certainty about paternity. One prominent theory is that pair-bonded males have less motivation for infanticide, though as the anthropologist Holly Dunsworth pointed out in her Aeon essay ‘Sex Makes Babies’ (2017), this does suggest a type of understanding in primates that we don’t always even ascribe to other humans. Other theories point to female roaming requiring a pairing system so mating opportunities aren’t lost whenever she moves on. Pair bonding has emerged perhaps as many as four separate times in the primate family, suggesting that the motivation for the invention of the mate may not be the same in all monkeys. What does seem clear is that humans have opted for a mating system that doesn’t go in as much for competition as it does for care. The evolution of ‘dads’ – our casual word for the pair of helping hands that, in humans, fits a very broad range of people – may in fact be the only solution to the crisis that is the most important feature of human babies: they are off-the-scale demanding.Q.What is the nearest opposite (antonym) for the term "tedious" as employed in the passage?a)Excitingb)Monotonousc)Engagingd)BoringCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?, a detailed solution for Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.Our unlikely childhoods begin well before gametes meet. As part of our social organisation, humans have a specific type of mating system, a form of reproduction that scaffolds the relationships between animals in our society in a specific way, with specific aims. Despite a tendency by a certain insidious strand of pseudo-intellectual internet bile to use pseudo-scientific terms such as ‘alpha males’ and ‘beta males’ for human interactions, our species is in fact rather charmingly non-competitive when it comes to mating.While it may be difficult to believe that humans are largely tedious monogamists, our pair-bonded nature is a story written in our physical beings. Not for us the costly evolutionary displays of the male hamadryas baboon, who grows his fangs to 400 times those of his female relatives in order to show off and fight for mates. (Male human fangs are, in fact, slightly bigger than females – but only about 7 per cent, which is nothing in animal terms.) Furthermore, in animals with more competitive strategies for mating – ones where there is any extra advantage in remaining coupled, depositing sperm, or preventing other couplings from happening – evolution has provided an array of genital morphologies ranging from penis bones and spikes to outsized testes. Humans lack distinction in any measure of genitalia so far studied, though it is worth noting that most anthropologists have chosen to focus on male genitalia, so surprises may remain in store for future research.This physical lack of difference between sexes sets up a social system that is, in animal terms, weird: pair bonding. Virtually no other animals reproduce in pair bonds – only about 5 per cent, if you discount birds, who do go for pairing in a big way. But an outsize proportion of primates opt for this monogamous arrangement, about 15 per cent of species, including, of course, our own. There are a variety of evolutionary theories for why pair bonding should appeal so much to primates, including maintaining access to females that roam, supporting offspring, or increasing certainty about paternity. One prominent theory is that pair-bonded males have less motivation for infanticide, though as the anthropologist Holly Dunsworth pointed out in her Aeon essay ‘Sex Makes Babies’ (2017), this does suggest a type of understanding in primates that we don’t always even ascribe to other humans. Other theories point to female roaming requiring a pairing system so mating opportunities aren’t lost whenever she moves on. Pair bonding has emerged perhaps as many as four separate times in the primate family, suggesting that the motivation for the invention of the mate may not be the same in all monkeys. What does seem clear is that humans have opted for a mating system that doesn’t go in as much for competition as it does for care. The evolution of ‘dads’ – our casual word for the pair of helping hands that, in humans, fits a very broad range of people – may in fact be the only solution to the crisis that is the most important feature of human babies: they are off-the-scale demanding.Q.What is the nearest opposite (antonym) for the term "tedious" as employed in the passage?a)Excitingb)Monotonousc)Engagingd)BoringCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? has been provided alongside types of Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.Our unlikely childhoods begin well before gametes meet. As part of our social organisation, humans have a specific type of mating system, a form of reproduction that scaffolds the relationships between animals in our society in a specific way, with specific aims. Despite a tendency by a certain insidious strand of pseudo-intellectual internet bile to use pseudo-scientific terms such as ‘alpha males’ and ‘beta males’ for human interactions, our species is in fact rather charmingly non-competitive when it comes to mating.While it may be difficult to believe that humans are largely tedious monogamists, our pair-bonded nature is a story written in our physical beings. Not for us the costly evolutionary displays of the male hamadryas baboon, who grows his fangs to 400 times those of his female relatives in order to show off and fight for mates. (Male human fangs are, in fact, slightly bigger than females – but only about 7 per cent, which is nothing in animal terms.) Furthermore, in animals with more competitive strategies for mating – ones where there is any extra advantage in remaining coupled, depositing sperm, or preventing other couplings from happening – evolution has provided an array of genital morphologies ranging from penis bones and spikes to outsized testes. Humans lack distinction in any measure of genitalia so far studied, though it is worth noting that most anthropologists have chosen to focus on male genitalia, so surprises may remain in store for future research.This physical lack of difference between sexes sets up a social system that is, in animal terms, weird: pair bonding. Virtually no other animals reproduce in pair bonds – only about 5 per cent, if you discount birds, who do go for pairing in a big way. But an outsize proportion of primates opt for this monogamous arrangement, about 15 per cent of species, including, of course, our own. There are a variety of evolutionary theories for why pair bonding should appeal so much to primates, including maintaining access to females that roam, supporting offspring, or increasing certainty about paternity. One prominent theory is that pair-bonded males have less motivation for infanticide, though as the anthropologist Holly Dunsworth pointed out in her Aeon essay ‘Sex Makes Babies’ (2017), this does suggest a type of understanding in primates that we don’t always even ascribe to other humans. Other theories point to female roaming requiring a pairing system so mating opportunities aren’t lost whenever she moves on. Pair bonding has emerged perhaps as many as four separate times in the primate family, suggesting that the motivation for the invention of the mate may not be the same in all monkeys. What does seem clear is that humans have opted for a mating system that doesn’t go in as much for competition as it does for care. The evolution of ‘dads’ – our casual word for the pair of helping hands that, in humans, fits a very broad range of people – may in fact be the only solution to the crisis that is the most important feature of human babies: they are off-the-scale demanding.Q.What is the nearest opposite (antonym) for the term "tedious" as employed in the passage?a)Excitingb)Monotonousc)Engagingd)BoringCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.Our unlikely childhoods begin well before gametes meet. As part of our social organisation, humans have a specific type of mating system, a form of reproduction that scaffolds the relationships between animals in our society in a specific way, with specific aims. Despite a tendency by a certain insidious strand of pseudo-intellectual internet bile to use pseudo-scientific terms such as ‘alpha males’ and ‘beta males’ for human interactions, our species is in fact rather charmingly non-competitive when it comes to mating.While it may be difficult to believe that humans are largely tedious monogamists, our pair-bonded nature is a story written in our physical beings. Not for us the costly evolutionary displays of the male hamadryas baboon, who grows his fangs to 400 times those of his female relatives in order to show off and fight for mates. (Male human fangs are, in fact, slightly bigger than females – but only about 7 per cent, which is nothing in animal terms.) Furthermore, in animals with more competitive strategies for mating – ones where there is any extra advantage in remaining coupled, depositing sperm, or preventing other couplings from happening – evolution has provided an array of genital morphologies ranging from penis bones and spikes to outsized testes. Humans lack distinction in any measure of genitalia so far studied, though it is worth noting that most anthropologists have chosen to focus on male genitalia, so surprises may remain in store for future research.This physical lack of difference between sexes sets up a social system that is, in animal terms, weird: pair bonding. Virtually no other animals reproduce in pair bonds – only about 5 per cent, if you discount birds, who do go for pairing in a big way. But an outsize proportion of primates opt for this monogamous arrangement, about 15 per cent of species, including, of course, our own. There are a variety of evolutionary theories for why pair bonding should appeal so much to primates, including maintaining access to females that roam, supporting offspring, or increasing certainty about paternity. One prominent theory is that pair-bonded males have less motivation for infanticide, though as the anthropologist Holly Dunsworth pointed out in her Aeon essay ‘Sex Makes Babies’ (2017), this does suggest a type of understanding in primates that we don’t always even ascribe to other humans. Other theories point to female roaming requiring a pairing system so mating opportunities aren’t lost whenever she moves on. Pair bonding has emerged perhaps as many as four separate times in the primate family, suggesting that the motivation for the invention of the mate may not be the same in all monkeys. What does seem clear is that humans have opted for a mating system that doesn’t go in as much for competition as it does for care. The evolution of ‘dads’ – our casual word for the pair of helping hands that, in humans, fits a very broad range of people – may in fact be the only solution to the crisis that is the most important feature of human babies: they are off-the-scale demanding.Q.What is the nearest opposite (antonym) for the term "tedious" as employed in the passage?a)Excitingb)Monotonousc)Engagingd)BoringCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? tests, examples and also practice CLAT tests.
Explore Courses for CLAT exam

Top Courses for CLAT

Explore Courses
Signup for Free!
Signup to see your scores go up within 7 days! Learn & Practice with 1000+ FREE Notes, Videos & Tests.
10M+ students study on EduRev