Comprehension

[jiang]

Dear teachers,
Please read the following paragraph:

Monkeys and apes, like humans, mate in all months of the year instead of in a rutting season. Unlike humans, however, female apes experience unusually strong sexual desire for a few days shortly before and during the oestrus periods, and have intensive sexual relations at that time. The males are attracted to the females by their scent or by brightly colored swellings in the sexual region. Oestrus-mating appears to be especially pronounced in primate species more remote from humans. The apes and some monkeys carry on less intensive, monthround sexuality in addiction to oestrus-mating, approaching human patterns more closely. In humans, sexual desires and relations are regulated less by hormonal changes and more by mental images, emotions,cultural rules and individual preferences.

According to the passage, primates' sexual activities are carried_____.
a. less by the demand of females than by that of males
b. more by physical desire than by nonphysical factors
c. more frequently than human beings'
d. less frequently than human beings'

The key is 'b'. I think choices 'c' and 'd' are contraditory to each other.
The word 'approaching in the sentence (line 9) suggests 'd' should also be correct. Otherwise there must be an answer between 'c' and 'd'. Am I right?

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank you in advance.

Jiang

[Casiopea]

Monkeys and apes, like humans, mate in all months of the year instead of in a rutting season. Unlike humans, however, female apes experience unusually strong sexual desire for a few days shortly before and during the oestrus periods, and have intensive sexual relations at that time. The males are attracted to the females by their scent or by brightly colored swellings in the sexual region. Oestrus-mating appears to be especially pronounced in primate species more remote from humans. The apes and some monkeys carry on less intensive, monthround sexuality in addiction (addition) to oestrus-mating, approaching human patterns more closely. In humans, sexual desires and relations are regulated less by hormonal changes and more by mental images, emotions,cultural rules and individual preferences.

According to the passage, primates' sexual activities are carried_____.

a. less by the demand of females than by that of males
b. more by physical desire than by nonphysical factors
c. more frequently than human beings'
d. less frequently than human beings'

Hint: Read the question & choices first, then read the paragraph. Use process of elimination to determine the correct choice.

Choices a., c, and d. are not stated in the passage. Choice b. is stated: The males are attracted to the females by (physical factors, such as) their scent or by brightly colored swellings in the sexual region.

'scent' and 'brightly colored swellings in the sexual region' are physical factors. Non-physical factors are "mental images, emotions, cultural rules and individual preferences". :D

The part about

"The apes and some monkeys carry on less intensive, monthround sexuality in addiction (addition) to oestrus-mating, approaching human patterns more closely"

refers to non-human primates' sexual activity changing from an oestrus period to a non-oestrus period (i.e. developing (approaching) along the same lines of that of human primates.

All the best,

[jiang]

But 'b' also refers to non-human. Am I right?

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank you in advance.

Jiang

Originally Posted by Casiopea

Hint: Read the question & choices first, then read the paragraph. Use process of elimination to determine the correct choice.

Choices a., c, and d. are not stated in the passage. Choice b. is stated: The males are attracted to the females by (physical factors, such as) their scent or by brightly colored swellings in the sexual region.

'scent' and 'brightly colored swellings in the sexual region' are physical factors. Non-physical factors are "mental images, emotions, cultural rules and individual preferences". :D

The part about

"The apes and some monkeys carry on less intensive, monthround sexuality in addiction (addition) to oestrus-mating, approaching human patterns more closely"

refers to non-human primates' sexual activity changing from an oestrus period to a non-oestrus period (i.e. developing (approaching) along the same lines of that of human primates.

All the best,

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by jiang

According to the passage, primates' sexual activities are carried_____.

a. less by the demand of females than by that of males
b. more by physical desire than by nonphysical factors
c. more frequently than human beings'
d. less frequently than human beings'

Choice b. does indeed refer to non-human primates (i.e. apes and monkeys). But, the passage does not use the term 'non-human', I did. Primatologists differentiate Primates by using the terms "human" and "non-human". If the passage had used those terms and given choices a. through b., then b., although not scientifically correct, would still be the correct choice:

"According to the passage, (all) primates' sexual activity are carried more by physical desire than by nonphysical factors."


All the best,

[jiang]

This part is really hard. I have to spend some time taking it in.
Best wishes,
Jiang

Originally Posted by Casiopea

Choice b. does indeed refer to non-human primates (i.e. apes and monkeys). But, the passage does not use the term 'non-human', I did. Primatologists differentiate Primates by using the terms "human" and "non-human". If the passage had used those terms and given choices a. through b., then b., although not scientifically correct, would still be the correct choice:

"According to the passage, (all) primates' sexual activity are carried more by physical desire than by nonphysical factors."


All the best,

[Casiopea]

According to the passage, primates' sexual activities are carried_____.

a. less by the demand of females than by that of males
b. more by physical desire than by nonphysical factors
c. more frequently than human beings'
d. less frequently than human beings'

OK. Look at it this way. The passage says nothing about choices a., c., or d., which makes b. the answer. :D (scent and swelling are physical factors)

[jiang]

I am sorry to have wasted so much of your time explaining it to me.I guess my English just isn't up to the standard of understanding the passage.

I think I come to see what you mean now. I am trying to explain it to you. The word 'approaching' in the passage doesn't mean close frequence of primates' sexual activities to those of human's. Am I right?

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank you in advance.

Jiang

Originally Posted by Casiopea

OK. Look at it this way. The passage says nothing about choices a., c., or d., which makes b. the answer. :D (scent and swelling are physical factors)

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by jiang

The word 'approaching' in the passage doesn't mean close frequence of primates' sexual activities to those of human's. Am I right?

From the passage in question
The apes and some monkeys carry on less intensive, monthround sexuality in addition to oestrus-mating, approaching human patterns more closely.

Meaning
The apes and monkey's sexual behavior is in the process of changing. Once a month they are supposed to have a very strong sexual drive, known as the oestrus period of mating. That period is becoming less intense (i.e. the need to mate is not as strong during that period as it used to be). Humans do not have an oestrus period. Humans mate when ever they want to. Primotologists, scientists who study apes and monkeys, are noticing that the sexual behavior of apes and monkeys is approaching (i.e. moving away from an oestrus cycle and developing towards human sexual patterns). :D

I don't think it's your comprehension of the material that's the problem. I think it's the subject matter (i.e. oestrus mating periods) coupled with lack of information on what that actually is.

Animals have mating seasons, humans do not. Some animals, specifically apes and monkeys, are starting to develop non-seasonal mating patterns, which, from an evolutionary scale, has them moving towards (i.e. approaching) animals that also do not have mating seasons. It is believed by most Primotologists that human had a one time in our great past an oestrus period of mating and that we lost it, evolved out of it.

Try,

"Is that right?" or "Is that correct?" instead of "Am I right?"

[jiang]

:D
Thank you so much for your explanation. Now I understand it perfectly.

Jiang

Originally Posted by Casiopea

From the passage in question
The apes and some monkeys carry on less intensive, monthround sexuality in addition to oestrus-mating, approaching human patterns more closely.

Meaning
The apes and monkey's sexual behavior is in the process of changing. Once a month they are supposed to have a very strong sexual drive, known as the oestrus period of mating. That period is becoming less intense (i.e. the need to mate is not as strong during that period as it used to be). Humans do not have an oestrus period. Humans mate when ever they want to. Primotologists, scientists who study apes and monkeys, are noticing that the sexual behavior of apes and monkeys is approaching (i.e. moving away from an oestrus cycle and developing towards human sexual patterns). :D

I don't think it's your comprehension of the material that's the problem. I think it's the subject matter (i.e. oestrus mating periods) coupled with lack of information on what that actually is.

Animals have mating seasons, humans do not. Some animals, specifically apes and monkeys, are starting to develop non-seasonal mating patterns, which, from an evolutionary scale, has them moving towards (i.e. approaching) animals that also do not have mating seasons. It is believed by most Primotologists that human had a one time in our great past an oestrus period of mating and that we lost it, evolved out of it.

Try,

"Is that right?" or "Is that correct?" instead of "Am I right?"

[Casiopea]

You're welcome. :D :D