UNIPAM 2017
The Odyssey, one of the most important epic poems in Western literature, was supposedly written by Homer almost 3,000 years ago, and it tells the wanderings of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, after the ten years of the Trojan War. Just after the battles, Odysseus attempts to come back home, but Neptune, god of the sea, prevents his coming. Odysseus reaches his kingdom after ten years of peregrination through the Mediterranean Islands. A very moving and famous scene is when the hero, disguised as a mendicant, is recognized by his dog Argos, a strong and clever hound. Read the excerpt below (TEXT) to answer question.
TEXT: Odyssey, Book XVII 290-320
As they were thus talking, a dog that had been lying asleep raised his head and pricked up his ears. This was Argos, whom Ulysses had bred before setting out for Troy, but he had never had any work out of him. In the old days he used to be taken out by the young men when they went hunting wild goats, or deer, or hares, but now that his master was gone he was lying neglected on the heaps of mule and cow dung that lay in front of the stable doors till the men should come and draw it away to manure the great close; and he was full of fleas. As soon as he saw Ulysses standing there, he dropped his ears and wagged his tail, but he could not get close up to his master. When Ulysses saw the dog on the other side of the yard, dashed a tear from his eyes without Eumaeus seeing it, and said:
"Eumaeus, what a noble hound that is over yonder on the manure heap: his build is splendid; is he as fine a fellow as he looks, or is he only one of those dogs that come begging about a table, and are kept merely for show?"
"This hound," answered Eumaeus, "belonged to him who has died in a far country. If he were what he was when Ulysses left for Troy, he would soon show you what he could do. There was not a wild beast in the forest that could get away from him when he was once on its tracks. But now he has fallen on evil times, for his master is dead and gone, and the women take no care of him. Servants never do their work when their master's hand is no longer over them, for Jove takes half the goodness out of a man when he makes a slave of him."
(Homer. The Odyssey, Book XVII 290-320. Translated by Samuel Butler. Orange Street Press Classics, 1998. Disponível em: http://sparks.eserver.org/books/odyssey.pdf).
According to the text, Argos, Odysseus’ hound (a dog used for hunting), was
waiting for his master in the same good conditions as he was some years ago.
not waiting for his master, because after such a long time, he could not remember him anymore.
not waiting for his master, because he found good women who decided to take care of him.
waiting for his master, but in precarious conditions, because no one took care of him.
Resolução
A questão pede para identificar a condição do cão Argos, de acordo com o texto. O texto descreve que Argos estava negligenciado, cheio de pulgas e deitado em montes de esterco de mula e vaca. Isso indica que ele estava em condições precárias e ninguém estava cuidando dele, o que corresponde à opção D.
Dicas
Leia o texto cuidadosamente e preste atenção aos detalhes sobre a condição de Argos.
Considere o contexto geral do texto ao escolher a resposta.
Elimine as opções que são claramente contraditórias com o texto.
Erros Comuns
Escolher uma resposta baseada em suposições ou informações que não estão no texto.
Não ler o texto inteiro antes de tentar responder à pergunta.
Esta questão envolve a compreensão de leitura em inglês, especificamente a habilidade de identificar informações específicas em um texto. É importante ler atentamente e entender o contexto geral do texto antes de tentar responder à pergunta.
