Question

read this passage from chapter 22 of the prince
but to enable a prince to form an opinion of his servant
there is one test which never fails; when you see the
servant thinking more of his own interests than of
yours, and seeking inwardly his own profit in
everything, such a man will never make a good
servant, nor will you ever be able to trust him, because
he who has the state of another in his hands ought
never to think of himself, but always of his prince, and
never pay any attention to matters in which the prince
is not concerned.
which statement best summarizes the central idea of
this excerpt?
○ one must know the process of hiring servants
○ it is important to always honor one’s servants.
○ it is necessary to choose trustworthy servants.
○ the intelligence of servants must be considered.

Explanation:

The passage from The Prince focuses on how a prince should assess a servant: a good servant prioritizes the prince’s interests, not their own. The option "It is necessary to choose trustworthy servants" aligns with this, as a servant who thinks of the prince (not self - interest) is trustworthy. The other options: hiring process (not the focus), honoring servants (not discussed), and servant intelligence (not mentioned) are incorrect.

Answer:

C. It is necessary to choose trustworthy servants