Homers The Odyssey is an epic poem putting a popular oral myth into w

Question

Homer’s  The Odyssey  is an epic poem putting a popular oral myth into writing for the first time.  The Histories  is an attempt by its author Herodotus to provide an unbiased account of historical conflicts in the Hellenistic world. These two works share two important motifs: the interference of the gods in the events of the mortal world, and the concept of a predetermined and unavoidable destiny. One might assume that these two themes are one and the same—a predetermined fate set forth by the gods. However, Homer’s and Herodotus’s gods are presented as acting in a political fashion—each one acting within certain boundaries to accomplish his or her own agenda. As such, the wills of the gods do not coincide to allow for the formulation of a cohesive “master plan.” Instead of destiny created by the gods, Homer and Herodotus present fate as something beyond the gods—a driving force under which the actions of gods and mortals lead to the realization of destiny. In  The Odyssey  and  The Histories , the idea of gods with limited power leads to a conception of fate wherein the gods act not as the creators of destiny, but as agents of its fulfillment.    1 
 1. Which of the following, if true, would most strongly support the assumption rejected by the argument of the passage?

(A) The gods pursue their agendas by conferring with other gods to ensure that their agendas serve a common goal.
(B) The agendas of gods and mortals frequently coincide with the demands of fate.
(C) Homer and Herodotus disagree strongly about the motives and agendas of the gods, as well as about the nature and severity of their conflicts.
(D) Destiny would be fulfilled regardless of what activities gods and mortals engaged in.
(E) In both Homer and Herodotus, gods and mortals frequently examine their motives and goals and are capable of making their own decisions about what to do.

2 
 2. The author most likely uses the term  unbiased  to convey which of the following ideas?

(A) The historical conflicts are presented in a way that precludes religious explanation.
(B) The historical conflicts are presented in a way that does not favor any particular party to the conflicts.
(C) The subjects of the histories are not restricted to any particular ethnic, social, religious, or geographical group.
(D) The historical conflicts are explained entirely by reference to the actions of the people and states involved in them.
(E) This histories are written in such a way as to challenge the sensibilities of their readers.

3 
 3. Which of the following can be inferred about the gods in  The Odyssey  and  The Histories ?

I. There are limits to what the gods can accomplish.
II. The gods, like human beings, pursue their own interests.
III. The gods do not control the final outcomes of their actions.

A. I Only
B. III Only
C. I and III Only
D. II and III Only
E. I, II, and III

RC Butler 2023  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 153 Date: 18-May-2023
 This question is part of RC Butler 2023 .  Click here for Details

Manhattan GRE 5lb.

cigarboy · Answer

After multiple attempts at GMAT, I have understood the importance of discarding options so that we are left with very few options to select as an answer.

Lets go through each question and its options.

1. Which of the following, if true, would most strongly support the assumption rejected by the argument of the passage?

To simplify - Something that supports an assumption rejected by the passage should be the answer. Also, assumption is never stated in the passage.

(A) The gods pursue their agendas by conferring with other gods to ensure that their agendas serve a common goal.  This supports the assumption that gods worked in tandem to accomplish their goals. This assumption is rejected  because 'each one acting within certain boundaries to accomplish his or her own agenda. As such, the wills of the gods do not coincide to allow for the formulation of a cohesive “master plan"'. 
(B) The agendas of gods and mortals frequently coincide with the demands of fate.  Yes, this supports the assumption accepted by the passage  - 'In The Odyssey and The Histories, the idea of gods with limited power leads to a conception of fate wherein the gods act not as the creators of destiny, but as agents of its fulfillment.'
(C) Homer and Herodotus disagree strongly about the motives and agendas of the gods, as well as about the nature and severity of their conflicts. No, where in the passage suggests that both the writers disagree. In fact ' These two works share two important motifs: ' shows they agree with each other to some extent.
(D) Destiny would be fulfilled regardless of what activities gods and mortals engaged in. -  This supports the assumption accepted by the passage  - already stated in the passage 'Instead of destiny created by the gods, Homer and Herodotus present fate as something beyond the gods—a driving force under which the actions of gods and mortals lead to the realization of destiny'.
(E) In both Homer and Herodotus, gods and mortals frequently examine their motives and goals and are capable of making their own decisions about what to do. -  This supports the assumption accepted by the passage  - already stated in the passage 'each one acting within certain boundaries to accomplish his or her own agenda'.

So, answer is A.

mkeshri185 · Answer

I did not get the statement 2 of Q3. It is comparing with humans but in the passage humans are not compared with anywhere so how do we assume that? As for GMAT it says never ever assume on your own unless stated

egmat · Answer

mkeshri185  Focus on what statement II is  actually  claiming: that the gods pursue their own interests. The phrase "like human beings" is just descriptive language in the answer choice—it's  not  the core of the inference.

Look at this sentence from the passage:

"Homer's and Herodotus's gods are presented as acting in a political fashion—each one acting within certain boundaries to accomplish his or her own agenda."

The phrase  "his or her own agenda"  directly tells us that each god is pursuing their own interests.

You're  not  being asked to assume that gods are like humans. You're being asked whether gods pursue their own interests—and the passage directly states they do (via the word "agenda").

Strategic Tip for Inference Questions:

Focus on the  substantive claim  being made in the answer choice, not the exact phrasing or descriptive comparisons. Ask yourself: "Is the core idea supported by the passage?"

Here, the core idea is "gods pursue their own interests" ← This IS supported by "accomplish his or her own agenda."

The phrase "like human beings" is just a clarifier showing that pursuing interests is something both gods and humans do. It's not a separate claim requiring evidence of comparison.

Hope it answers your question sufficiently! Let me know if you are still conflicted by it.

gullyboy09 · Answer

Hello! How come part 1 of Q3 can be inferred! There’s a limitation to their power, but not what they can accomplish (it’s mentioned act within certain boundaries to achieve his or her own agenda, so power is limited but not accomplishment)

gullyboy09 · Answer

Hello! How come part 1 of Q3 can be inferred! There’s a limitation to their power, but not what they can accomplish (it’s mentioned act within certain boundaries to achieve his or her own agenda, so power is limited but nothing on accomplishment, even they are doing this for their own interest so able to accomplish what they want in a way)

https://gmatclub.com/forum/posting.php?mode=delete&f=137&p=3659304  https://gmatclub.com/forum/report.php?f=137&p=3659304  https://gmatclub.com/forum/posting.php?mode=edit&f=137&p=3659304

Homers The Odyssey is an epic poem putting a popular oral myth into w

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

Homers The Odyssey is an epic poem putting a popular oral myth into w

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards