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- 1. Multiple Choice
Which lines from the story BEST convey Prometheus’s belief that man should have fire? Choose THREE answers.
“He eats his meat raw.” (4)
“If you mean something by this, enlighten me with your wisdom.” (4)
“Man does not have fire, true, nor the crafts which fire teaches.” (5)
“Happy as beasts are happy.” (6)
“Would not fire, and the graces he can put on with fire, make him more interesting?” (8)
- 2. Multiple Choice
This question has two parts.Part 1: How would Zeus describe man’s life without knowledge of fire?
Man is happier without knowledge of fire.
Man is limited without knowledge of fire.
Man is like a wild animal without knowledge of fire.
Man has more pride without knowledge of fire.
- 3. Multiple Choice
Part 2: Which quote from the story BEST supports the correct answer to Part 1?
“What you call ignorance is innocence.” (3)
“Man does not have fire, true, nor the crafts which fire teaches.” (5)
“An aptitude for admiring our power, being puzzled by our riddles and amazed by our caprice. That is why he was made.” (7)
“He will grow big and poisoned with pride and fancy himself a god, and before we know it, we shall see him storming Olympus.” (9)
- 4. Multiple Choice
Which choice BEST describes how paragraph 5 contributes to the theme of the myth?
It shows Prometheus’s belief that man deserves knowledge of fire.
It shows Zeus’s belief that knowledge comes with a price.
It indicates that knowing about fire does not have many benefits.
It indicates that no one can change their fate—even the gods.
- 5. Multiple Choice
Which sentence from the paragraph BEST explains the danger Zeus sees in man becoming too proud?
More interesting, perhaps, but infinitely more dangerous.
For there is this in man too: a vaunting pride that needs little sustenance to make it swell to giant size.
Improve his lot, and he will forget that which makes him pleasing—his sense of worship, his humility.
He will grow big and poisoned with pride and fancy himself a god, and before we know it, we shall see him storming Olympus.
Enough, Prometheus!
- 6. Multiple Choice
Read this quote from paragraph 11:
“It was so hot, so quick; it bit sharply when you touched it, and for pure spite, made the shadows dance.”
What does the underlined phrase mean?
The gift would bite people who touched it with its sharp teeth.
The gift would burn people who touched it.
The gift would stab people who touched it with something sharp.
The gift would move quickly away from people who touched it.
- 7. Multiple Choice
Prometheus uses personification in paragraph 12 when he describes fire as having human qualities:
It is an ill-natured spirit, a little brother of the sun, but if you handle it carefully, it can change your whole life. It is very greedy; you must feed it twigs, but only until it becomes a proper size. Then you must stop, or it will eat everything in sight—and you too. If it escapes, use this magic: water. It fears the water spirit, and if you touch it with water, it will fly away until you need it again.
Which statement BEST explains why Prometheus uses personification when describing fire?
When Prometheus uses personification, he makes it easier for man to understand fire by comparing fire’s qualities to a person’s.
When Prometheus uses personification, he explains that fire is literally a person who is unpredictable and needs to be managed well.
When Prometheus uses personification, he shows how fire represents the strong feelings man will experience after he loses his ignorance.
When Prometheus uses personification, he shows that he wants man to understand fire's relationship to the sun.
- 8. Multiple Choice
How does paragraph 14 contribute to the development of the plot?
It describes how Prometheus challenged Zeus’s authority.
It tells how Zeus will punish Prometheus.
It reveals that knowledge of fire does come with a price.
It shows how people changed after Prometheus gave them knowledge of fire.
- 9. Multiple Choice
Select the paragraph that shows that the narrator of the myth is telling this story long after it happened.
Paragraph 15: Zeus was full of rage. He seized his largest thunderbolt. “So they want fire,” he said to himself. “I’ll give them fire—more than they can use. I’ll turn their miserable little ball of earth into a cinder.” But then another thought came to him, and he lowered his arm. “No,” he said to himself, “I shall have vengeance—and entertainment too. Let them destroy themselves with their new skills. This will make a long twisted game, interesting to watch. I’ll attend to them later. My first business is with Prometheus.”
Paragraph 16: He called his giant guards and had them seize Prometheus, drag him off to the Caucasus, and there bind him to a mountain peak with great chains specially forged by Hephaestus—chains which even a Titan in agony could not break. And when the friend of man was bound to the mountain, Zeus sent two vultures to hover about him forever, tearing at his belly and eating his liver.
Paragraph 17: Men knew a terrible thing was happening on the mountain, but they did not know what. But the wind shrieked like a giant in torment and sometimes like fierce birds.
Paragraph 18: Many centuries he lay there—until another hero was born brave enough to defy the gods. He climbed to the peak in the Caucasus and struck the shackles from Prometheus and killed the vultures. His name was Heracles.
- 10. Multiple Choice
Imagine that this myth will be given a new title. Which choice BEST reflects the central idea of the story?
A Titan in Agony
Man Is a Beast-Like Creature
Angry Birds Make the Worst Punishment
The Gift of Knowledge Comes With a Price
- 11. Multiple Choice
In paragraph 15, Zeus considers destroying the humans with fire, but decides instead to “Let them destroy themselves with their new skills." Based on the events leading up to this statement, the reader can infer that Zeus thinks that
humans will not be able to control fire and they will burn.
humans will forget to worship the gods, who will take vengeance.
humans will use their new tools to go to war.
humans will fight over who can control the fire.
- 12. Multiple Choice
Which sentence BEST implies that the Cyclops is going to be kinder to Odysseus and his men?
The Cyclops took the wine and drank it up.
And the delicious drink gave him such exquisite pleasure that he asked me for another bowlful.
“Give me more, please, and tell me your name, here and now – I would like to make you a gift that will please you."
"We Cyclopes have wine of our own made from the grapes that our rich soil and rains from Zeus produce."
"But this vintage of yours is a drop of the real nectar and ambrosia.”
- 13. Multiple Choice
Which paragraph from the story BEST supports the idea that the Cyclops is dangerous?
Paragraph 31: The Cyclops took the wine and drank it up. And the delicious drink gave him such exquisite pleasure that he asked me for another bowlful. “Give me more, please, and tell me your name, here and now – I would like to make you a gift that will please you. We Cyclopes have wine of our own made from the grapes that our rich soil and rains from Zeus produce. But this vintage of yours is a drop of the real nectar and ambrosia.”
Paragraph 32: So said the Cyclops, and I handed him another bowlful of the sparkling wine. Three times I filled it for him; and three times the fool drained the bowl to the dregs. At last, when the wine had fuddled his wits, I addressed him with soothing words.
Paragraph 33: “Cyclops,” I said, “you ask me my name. I’ll tell it to you; and in return give me the gift you promised me. My name is Nobody. That is what I am called by my mother and father and by all my friends.”
Paragraph 34: The Cyclops answered me from his cruel heart. “Of all his company I will eat Nobody last, and the rest before him. That shall be your gift.”
- 14. Multiple Choice
Reread paragraph 32:
So said the Cyclops, and I handed him another bowlful of the sparkling wine. Three times I filled it for him; and three times the fool drained the bowl to the dregs. At last, when the wine had fuddled his wits, I addressed him with soothing words.
What does the underlined phrase mean?
The Cyclops poured the wine out onto the floor.
The Cyclops strained the wine to get rid of the solid parts.
The Cyclops drank the entire bowlful of wine.
The Cyclops took dainty sips from the bowl of wine.
- 15. Multiple Choice
Which choice BEST describes how paragraph 34 contributes to the development of the story?
It shows that the Cyclops has decided not to eat anybody because of the gift.
It indicates that the Cyclops has imprisoned men in this way before.
It shows how dangerous it is for Odysseus and his men to be trapped by the Cyclops.
It shows how Odysseus’s relationship with the Cyclops is improving.
- 16. Multiple Choice
This question has two parts. Part 1: Which of the following BEST describes what Odysseus expected to happen after he gave the Cyclops a false name?
The Cyclops would try to fight Odysseus and his men, but he would be too drunk to do any harm.
The Cyclops would ask his father, the god Poseidon, to help him get revenge.
The Cyclops would call out for help, but he would not get help because of the lie Odysseus told about his name.
The Cyclops would let his animals escape so that it would be easier to hunt Odysseus inside his cave.
- 17. Multiple Choice
Part 2: What TWO sentences from the text BEST demonstrate this expected outcome?
“Then he hurled it away from him with frenzied hands and raised a great shout to the other Cyclopes who lived in neighbouring caves along the windy heights.” (35)
“What on earth is wrong with you, Polyphemus? Why must you disturb the peaceful night and spoil our sleep with all this shouting?" (36)
“'Well then,' came the immediate reply, 'if you are alone and nobody is assaulting you, you must be sick and sickness comes from almighty Zeus and cannot be helped.'” (38)
“All you can do is to pray to your father, the Lord Poseidon.” (38)
“Then he sat himself down in the doorway and stretched out both arms in the hope of catching us in the act of slipping out among the sheep.” (39)
- 18. Multiple Choice
This question has two parts.Part 1: How would Odysseus describe the Cyclops?
Vicious and clever
Vicious and overly confident
Generous and clever
Generous and foolish
- 19. Multiple Choice
Part 2: Which TWO sentences from the text BEST support the correct answer to Part 1?
“And the delicious drink gave him such exquisite pleasure that he asked me for another bowlful.” (31)
“The Cyclops answered me from his cruel heart.” (34)
“Then he hurled it away from him with frenzied hands and raised a great shout to the other Cyclopes who lived in neighbouring caves along the windy heights.” (35)
“The Cyclops, still moaning in agonies of pain, groped about with his hands and pushed the rock away from the mouth of the cave.” (39)
“What a fool he must have thought me!” (39)
- 20. Multiple Choice
Which sentence from paragraph 39 BEST shows how proud Odysseus is of his cleverness? Choose ONE.
And off they went, while I laughed to myself at the way in which my cunning notion of a false name had taken them in.
The Cyclops, still moaning in agonies of pain, groped about with his hands and pushed the rock away from the mouth of the cave.
Then he sat himself down in the doorway and stretched out both arms in the hope of catching us in the act of slipping out among the sheep.
What a fool he must have thought me!
Meanwhile I was cudgelling my brains for the best possible course, trying to hit on some way of saving my friends as well as myself.
- 21. Multiple Choice
Choose the word that BEST completes the sentence, so that it summarizes a central idea of paragraphs 31–39:
The Cyclops plans to overpower and eat Odysseus and his men, but Odysseus stops the Cyclops before he eats them all. This episode demonstrates that, although the Cyclops is 1) ____________ than Odysseus, Odysseus 2) ____________ than the Cyclops.
1) Weaker
1) Stronger
1) More clever
2) Stronger
2) More clever
- 22. Multiple Choice
Which answer choice BEST summarizes the text without personal opinions or judgments?
The Cyclops has imprisoned Odysseus and his men. Odysseus plays a couple of tricks on the Cyclops to stop the Cyclops from eating his men.
The Cyclops gets drunk on wine and Odysseus successfully tricks him. It’s a bad idea to drink wine because it makes a person easy to trick.
The Cyclops realizes his neighbors won’t help him after he says that “Nobody” is attacking him. He shouldn’t have fallen for such an obvious trick.
Odysseus describes how he is able to encourage his men to stay brave during a terrifying situation. Odysseus is a strong leader who will go far in life.
- 23. Multiple Choice
Consider the passages from The Odyssey and "Prometheus." Which statement is true about the settings and characters of these texts?
Both texts are set in Ancient Greece; both texts include characters that are human and not human.
Both texts are set in caves; both texts are about men who don’t know how to use fire.
“Prometheus” is set in a cave while the excerpt from The Odyssey is set on a mountaintop; both texts include characters that are not human.
Both texts are set in Ancient Greece; “Prometheus” has only gods for characters, while the excerpt from The Odyssey has only human characters.
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