Question

apollo and the shepherd: a greek myth
by apollonius rhodius (excerpt)
apollo did not live always free of care, though he was the most glorious of the gods. one day, in anger at the cyclopes who made the thunderbolts of zeus, he sent his arrows after them to the work at their forge. one day of august, the sun was the water of the river, and the gods, but apollo, not understanding, shot the arrows to the water, could not be understood, and as a result, he was sent to serve some goatherd for a year.
now there was a certain king of thessaly, apollo, and some close to him once a day a stranger who had been a shepherd, and more about the pastures. now apollo, who was very clever, and moreover, when they questioned him, he said that he had made them a poet of high art. so, without further delay, they made him chief shepherd of their royal flocks.
every day, therefore, he drove his sheep to the banks of the river anapus, and there he sat to wonder at them. the country folk that passed by were all simple shepherds, and he was yet he seemed to know much more than he would say, and he was satisfied with a kindly mien when the people wished him sunny weather.
indeed, as days went by, it seemed as if summer had come to stay, and the shepherds found the place friendly. clouds seldom were a trouble; sometimes, too, when he like cheese. then he kept song to them. then the grasshoppers drew near, and the swans sailed close to the river banks, and the courtiers gathered about to hear wonderful tales of the gods, who drew into a laurel tree. in time, the turn of these things drew the king himself to listen. admetus, who had been to see the world, knew at once that this was no earthly shepherd, but a god. from then on, like a true king, he treated his guests with reverence and friendliness, asking no questions, and the god was well pleased.

1. which sentence best presents a theme from the passage?

a. people are drawn to those who are mysterious.
b. people are not always who they seem to be.
c. a lowly station does not mean an unhappy life.
d. the simple things in life can bring great pleasure.

Explanation:

To determine the theme, analyze each option:

• Option A: The passage doesn't focus on people being drawn to mythical figures; it's about a shepherd's simple life and interactions. Eliminate A.
• Option B: The passage shows the shepherd was content, and Admetus found joy in simple things, so people can be happy as they seem. But this isn't the main theme. Eliminate B.
• Option C: The passage emphasizes the shepherd's simple, happy life, not that a lowly station means unhappiness. Eliminate C.
• Option D: The shepherd's daily simple tasks (grazing sheep, simple pleasures) and Admetus' enjoyment of simple things (like the shepherd's tales) show simple things bring great pleasure. This matches the passage.

Answer:

D. The simple things in life can bring great pleasure.