Question

read the excerpt from the odyssey.

then i sent out two picked men and a runner
to learn what race of men that land sustained.
they fell in, soon enough, with lotus - eaters,
who showed no will to do us harm, only
offering the sweet lotus to our friends—
but those who ate this honeyed plant, the lotus,
never cared to report, nor to return:
they longed to stay forever, browsing on
that native bloom, forgetful of their homeland.

which central idea should be included in a paraphrase of this excerpt?

the men sent ashore by
odysseus were swayed by the
hospitality of the lotus - eaters
and abandoned the idea of
returning home.

the lotus was a sweet plant
that made men forget
everything except the idea of
obtaining and eating more
lotus plants.

the lotus - eaters meant no
harm and simply offered the
lotus plant to odysseus’s men
as a gesture of kindness.

the men sent by odysseus to
investigate the land they had
landed upon became forgetful
after eating lotus plants.

Explanation:

To determine the central idea, we analyze the excerpt: Odysseus sent men to investigate the land. They met Lotus - Eaters who gave them Lotus plants. Those who ate the Lotus forgot their homeland and didn't want to return. Now let's analyze each option:

• Option 1: The excerpt says the Lotus - Eaters offered the Lotus (not that the men were "swayed by hospitality" in a way that implies a choice to abandon returning; it was the effect of the Lotus). So this is incorrect.
• Option 2: The excerpt shows the men forgot their homeland, not just about getting more Lotus. So this is incorrect.
• Option 3: The main idea is not about the kindness of the Lotus - Eaters, but about the effect of the Lotus on Odysseus's men. So this is incorrect.
• Option 4: This option accurately captures the main event: Odysseus's men were sent to investigate, ate the Lotus, and became forgetful of their homeland (so they didn't want to return).

Answer:

D. The men sent by Odysseus to investigate the land they had landed upon became forgetful after eating Lotus plants. (Note: Assuming the options are labeled A, B, C, D with D being the last option as per the layout. If the labels are different, adjust accordingly, but the content of the correct option is "The men sent by Odysseus to investigate the land they had landed upon became forgetful after eating Lotus plants.")