Yet Harold, defying the laws of heredity, had run to intellect as his father had run to muscle

Yet Harold, defying the laws of heredity, had run to intellect as his father had run to muscle.
He had learned to read and write with amazing quickness. He sang in the Choir.
(a) Which word in the extract is an antonym of ‘obeying’?
(b) Harold’s intellect is known by…
© The difference between Harold and his father was…

(a) The word is ‘defying’.
(b) his ability to learn, to read and write with amazing quickness, as well as his singing in the Choir
© that Harold loved studies and his father loved boxing