Question

Read the excerpt from The Odyssey.

Now Zeus the lord of cloud roused in the north
a storm against the ships, and driving veils
of squall moved down like night on land and sea.
The bows went plunging at the gust; sails
cracked and lashed out strips in the big wind.
We saw death in that fury, dropped the yards,
unshipped the oars, and pulled for the nearest lee:
then two long days and nights we lay offshore
worn out and sick at heart, tasting our grief,
until a third Dawn came with ringlets shining.

Which key details should be included in a paraphrase of this passage? Select three options.

The storm was a direct result of Zeus’s fury at the men.
For two days and nights, Zeus created a storm at sea.
Odysseus and his men feared greatly for their lives.
The sails on the ship cracked in the heavy winds.
The men felt grief as they lay offshore and waited.

Answer 1

Selections:
- For two days and nights, Zeus created a storm at sea.
- Odysseus and his men feared greatly for their lives.
- The sails on the ship cracked in the heavy winds.

Reason: the passage says Zeus roused a storm that struck sea and land and kept them offshore for two long days and nights, the winds damaged the sails, and the men “saw death” (feared for their lives). The first choice adds an unstated motive (Zeus’s fury at the men), and the grief line is redundant with the fear already captured.