Reading Comprehension Practice 56

Prometheus and Fire

Early man know about the natural fire of lightning and volcanoes long before he began to use fire himself. He didn't know what fire was, but he had seen the damage it could cause. Fire was powerful and dangerous, and so he was frightened. Greek legend tells how Prometheus stole fire from God Zeus, and brought it to Earth for man to use. Zeus was very angry. He ordered Prometheus to be chained to a rock. Every day an eagle pecked out his liver, and every night his liver grew again. So Prometheus suffered a terrible punishment for his deed. The name "Prometheus" means "the fore thinker". One Greek philosopher wrote that all arts, all skills, men owe to the forethinker. By this he meant that civilization is founded on fire and using fire. When man eventually learned how to use fire, he guarded it carefully. Some ancient peoples worshiped fire as a goddess. Even when man learned to make fire whenever he liked, often kept sacred fires burning.

1. It's obvious from the passage that Prometheus ----.

A) doesn't mean a person who thinks beforehand
B) was able to protect himself from the eagle
C) intended to bring fire from the sky for human
D) ordered the gods to be chained to a rock
E) was worshiped as a god by ancient people

2. It is made clear in the passage that ----.

A) fire enabled early man to live in peace
B) a bird of prey eats an organ of Prometheus
C) Prometheus is regarded as an hero by all Greek people
D) man never realized how to use the advantages of fire
E) when an eagle pecked out Prometheus' liver, he no longer survived

3. A Greek philosopher thinks that ----.

A) if Prometheus hadn't stolen fire from Zeus, there wouldn't have been a
    civilization
B) Prometheus can't exactly imagine what will happen in the future
C) man has not got the ability to use fire
D) Zeus can't have punished Prometheus
E) Prometheus is the most evil creature

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