Selection 4 1

Speed and Comprehension Reading Material English Grade 10

Achilles

Among the Greeks who fought against Troy, the one considered the bravest was
Achilles. His mother was the goddess Thetis, a Nereid (sea nymph). His father was
Peleus, king of Thessaly and a grandson of Zeus, the lord of heaven. It was at the
wedding feast of Thetis and Peleus that the goddess Eris (Discord) hurled among the
guests a golden apple that was to cause the Trojan War.

Soon after the birth of Achilles, Thetis tried to outwit the Fates, who had foretold that
war would cut down her son in his prime. So that no weapon might ever wound him,
she dipped her baby in the black waters of the Styx, the river that flowed around the
underworld. Only the heel by which she held him was untouched by the magic waters,
and this was the only part of his body that could be wounded. This is the source of the
expression Achilles' heel, meaning a vulnerable point.

When the Trojan War began, Achilles' mother, fearing that the decree of the Fates
would prove true, dressed him as a girl and hid him among the maidens at the court of
the king of Scyros. The trick did not succeed. Odysseus, the shrewdest of the Greeks,
went to the court disguised as a peddler. When he had spread his wares before the
girls, a sudden trumpet blast was sounded. The girls screamed and fled, but Achilles
betrayed his sex by seizing a sword and spear from the peddler's stock.

Achilles joined the battle and took command of his father's men, the Myrmidons. They
set an example of bravery for the other Greeks. Then he quarreled with Agamemnon,
the leader of the Greeks, over a captive whom he loved. When she was taken from
him, he withdrew his followers from the fight and sulked in his tent. As a result the
Greek armies were driven back to their ships by the Trojans.

At last, moved by the plight of the Greeks, Achilles entrusted his men and his armor to
Patroclus, his best friend. Thus, when Patroclus led the Myrmidons into battle, the
Trojans mistook him for Achilles and fled in panic. Patroclus, however, was killed by
Hector, the leader of the Trojans. Achilles' armor became the prize of Hector. Angered
and stricken by grief, Achilles vowed to kill Hector. Meanwhile, his mother hastened to
Olympus to beg a new suit of armor from Hephaestus, god of the forge. Clad in his
new armor, Achilles again went into battle. He slew many Trojans, and the rest—
except for Hector—fled within their city. Achilles then killed Hector.

Although the Trojans had now lost their leader, they were able to continue fighting with
the help of other nations. Achilles broke the strength of these allies by killing Memnon,
prince of the Ethiopians, and Penthesilea, queen of the Amazons .

Achilles was now weary of war and, moreover, had fallen in love with Polyxena, sister
of Hector. He died since Paris, shot him with a poisoned arrow in the only vulnerable
part of his body—the heel

393 words
 Selection 4 2
Speed and Comprehension Reading Material English Grade 10

ACHILLES
Questions:

Directions: Copy the letter of the best answer on your paper.

1. The bravest among the Greek warriors is ________________

A. Hector B. Achilles C,. Agamemnon D. Paris

2. Peleus is the king of ________________

A. Sicily B. Trojans C. Ethiopians D. Thessaly

3. The Fates foretold Thetis that _______________

A. War would kill his son C. War would make his son
famous
B. Their enemies will be declared victorious D. They will be vanished.

4. Thetis dipped her baby into the black waters to _________________

A. To be strong enough B. To protect him from all sorts of harm
B. To be invisible D. To have powers and magic

5. Achilles’ part of the body which was left vulnerable.

A. arms B. legs C. heel D. toes

6. Why did Achilles’ mother dressed him as a girl?

A. To create fun B. To punish him
C. To disguise and protect him from enemies D. To follow her husband’s
command

7. How will you characterize Odysseus?

A. brave B. courageous C. wise D. all of the
above

8. Achilles’ best friend

A. Agamemnon B. Hector C. Paris D. Patroclus

9. Achilles mother hastened to Olympus to _________________

A. Beg a new suit of armor for him B. Beg from the enemies not to kill her
son
C. Plead to give her son additional power. D. Plead to stop the war

10. This is a story of _____________

A. love and faith B. love and endurance
C. love and revenge D. love and courage

393 words
 Selection 4 3
Speed and Comprehension Reading Material English Grade 10

Key
1. B
2. D
3. A
4.B
5.C
6.C
7.D
8.D
9.A
10.C

393 words