Of all the gods and goddesses of Olympus, perhaps none was loved by

humans as much as Demeter. Demeter was the goddess of the soil and of
the crops, to which she tended with great care all through the year. Demeter
enjoyed her duties because she cared for mortals and wanted to make
sure they would always have enough food to eat. For centuries, farmers
planted and harvested their crops with all the rain and sun and other proper
conditions provided by the benevolent goddess.
More than any mortal, however, there was someone Demeter loved more
than all others, and that was her daughter Persephone. Persephone was as
spirited and loving as her mother, and the two women were inseparable.
While Demeter went about her duties caring for the land, Persephone found
amusement with her friends in the woods, fields, and meadows.
Now it so happened that there was
someone else who loved Persephone, and
this was Hades, ruler of the Underworld.
Hades ruled a cold, dark kingdom. No light
filtered through into the murky caverns
and caves of Hades’ land, to the point
that even the god himself was miserable
in his kingdom.
Hades believed that nothing would
ever make him happy until he found
a lovely young woman to be his bride.
Hades had seen Persephone many times
as she played with her friends, and she was the woman he wanted as his bride.

There was only one, however, who could grant Hades’ request, and that was Zeus, the king of all the gods and goddesses of Olympus. Zeus listened to Hades’ request and then, with some reluctance, granted it. Hades was almost giddy with excitement as he quickly harnessed his horses to a huge iron chariot and drove them up through the earth to the field where Persephone was playing. The god of the Underworld carried her below to his gloomy kingdom and explained that she would live there with
him forever. Poor Persephone! She was frightened and despairing and so alone. In defiance,
she refused to eat or drink, though Hades tried to tempt her with many delicacies.
Instead, all day and all night, Persephone
wept and wailed for her mother.
Meanwhile, Demeter was frantic with
worry. She had no idea where Persephone
was or how she had disappeared, but she
could hear her daughter’s cries. Roaming
and searching through all of the land,
Demeter could hear that beloved voice
everywhere—in the trees, in the wind,
and in the waves of the sea. Cloaked in gray, the goddess traveled the earth
searching for her child, asking all she met if they had knowledge of Persephone’s
fate, but no one could help her.
And so the years passed full of sorrow for Demeter until she finally met
the god Helios, who could see into the past. Helios told the goddess where
Persephone was and how Hades had carried her there after Zeus, the great
god himself, had given his consent.
Demeter’s grief instantly turned to rage. She went to Olympus where
she demanded that Zeus return Persephone to her, but he refused. Zeus
explained that he had promised Hades his bride, and he would not go back
on his promise.
Demeter decided that if Zeus would not reunite her with her daughter,
then the goddess of crops would find a way of her own. And Demeter devised
a simple, yet terrible, plan. She ceased caring for the soil and the plants on
which humans depended. She made cold winds blow constantly. She clouded
the sun and made the rain stop falling. She sent blights and disease to wither
the crops. Nothing grew, and soon famine spread everywhere. Humans began
to starve to death and to die of the cold. Zeus was aware of the devastation that Demeter had caused, and he could no longer turn a deaf ear to the cries of the humans. Zeus summoned Demeter and demanded that she resume her earthly duties. “I will not restore
the earth to its bounty and beauty,” she said, “until you restore my daughter to me.” Since he loved the earth and did not wish to see it destroyed, Zeus
had no choice but to give in to Demeter. He called Hermes, his messenger, and directed him to descend to the underworld to give Hades this message: “Send Persephone back to her mother, as she is yours no longer.”Hades was angry, but as a god he was bound to obey Zeus. But Hades was cunning. As the overjoyed Persephone prepared to go back to her
mother, Hades called to her, “Come, now that you are happy again and break your long fast by sharing a meal with me before you leave.” He handed the girl a pomegranate, ripe and full of sweet juice. Persephone bit into it but had time only to swallow seven of the seeds before the chariot swept her back to the surface of earth.Demeter and Persephone were so happy to be together again that at first they could not speak, only weep with joy. Then Demeter said, “My dear
daughter, I hope you ate nothing at all while you were in Hades’ dark kingdom. Please tell me this is so.”“Why, I ate nothing at all, mother,” answered Persephone,“except seven
seeds from a pomegranate that Hades gave me today, before I left.”
All signs of joy were erased from Demeter’s face, and she began to rant and rage again. “This is the work of that sly trickster! He knows there is a rule that is even above the command of Zeus. Whoever eats any food in the Underworld is bound to go back there and stay forever!” Persephone gasped at such a thought, and the two women fell into a deep despair. But Zeus took pity on them. He decreed that Persephone would have to return to the Underworld for seven months each year—one month for each
seed she had swallowed. But during the other five months, she could come back to live with her mother.
And so it came about that for seven months, Demeter goes about weeping
and mourning for her daughter, and the earth turns cold and barren as the goddess neglects it. But when Persephone comes back to her, Demeter is happy again, and there are five months of warmth and sun, and gentle rain and flowers.

1. What is the purpose of paragraph one?
A.to describe where the myth
takes place
B.to explain all about Demeter’s role as a goddess
C.to inform readers about Demeter’s
love for her daughter
D.to convince readers that Demeter
was a caring god

2. How is a myth similar to a legend?
A.Both contain events that never
occurred.
B.Both contain characters who
are not human.
C.Both are handed down from one
generation to the next.
D.Both contain more facts than nonfacts.
3. Demeter was described as a benevolent goddess.
Another word for benevolent is
A troubled.
B.kindhearted.
C.furious.
D.overjoyed.

4. Which idea from the myth supports your answer to Number 3?
A . . . the years passed full of sorrow . . .
B . . . instantly turned to rage.
C. . . were so happy to be
together again . . .
D. . . wanted to make sure they would always have enough food . . .
5. Persephone was ordered to be returned to her mother because
A Zeus took pity on Demeter.
B Zeus grew weary of Demeter’s wailing.
C Zeus was reluctant to grant
Hades’ request.
D Zeus did not want to see further
devastation on earth.

6. What action shows that Demeter
was not afraid of Zeus?
A Demeter cared for mortals.
B Demeter’s grief turned to rage.
C Demeter traveled the earth in search of her daughter.
D.Demeter refused to resume her duties on earth.

7. The myth says that Hades was almost giddy with excitement. This means that Hades was
A flustered.
B inspired.
C exhilarated.
D disheartened.

8. What is the main idea of paragraph two?
A Demeter and her mother were almost never separated.
B Demeter loved her daughter more
than any mortal.
C Persephone had many friends with
whom she spent much of her time.
D Persephone had many of her
mother’s qualities.
Please check my answers
1. B
2. C
3. B
4. D
5. D
6. D
7. C
8. D

1 is not A.

Your answers are correct!

1. The purpose of paragraph one is to explain all about Demeter's role as a goddess.
2. A myth is similar to a legend because both are handed down from one generation to the next.
3. Benevolent means kindhearted.
4. The idea from the myth that supports the word benevolent is "wanted to make sure they would always have enough food."
5. Persephone was ordered to be returned to her mother because Zeus did not want to see further devastation on earth.
6. The action that shows Demeter was not afraid of Zeus is Demeter refusing to resume her duties on earth.
7. The word "giddy" means exhilarated.
8. The main idea of paragraph two is that Demeter loved her daughter more than any mortal.

1. B - no

2. C - yes
3. B - yes
4. D - yes
5. D - yes
6. D - yes
7. C - yes
8. D - yes

Is the answer to #1 A?

1 is D.