Read the following passage on art as an escape and Aristotle on poetry, then choose the most appropriate answer. The passage explains that all art is a kind of escape and that, according to Aristotle, poetry is valuable because it shows human beings not only as they actually are but also as they ought to be or as they are capable of becoming. Based on this argument, what does poetry show, according to Aristotle in this passage?

Introduction / Context:
This question again refers to the passage about art as an escape and Aristotle on poetry. The focus now is not on why poetry is valuable in a general sense, but on what poetry actually shows about human beings according to Aristotle. The passage mentions three different aspects of human life that poetry can present, and the learner must identify which combination of these aspects is supported by the text.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The passage states that all art is in an important sense an escape.
• It mentions the ability of human beings to use past consciousness to imagine the future.
• It then introduces the argument by Aristotle about poetry.
• The text says that poetry shows human beings not simply as they are.
• It adds that poetry shows people as they ought to be or as they are capable of becoming.

Concept / Approach:
The key to this question lies in noticing that the passage lists more than one description of what poetry shows. Reading comprehension questions often ask whether the best answer is one part of a list or whether it is the entire list. We must therefore pay attention to conjunctions such as not simply and or, as these signals show that poetry covers several aspects in the sentence. The correct option will gather all the elements that the passage attributes to poetry.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Find the line that directly discusses what poetry shows, according to Aristotle. Step 2: The sentence says that poetry shows human beings not simply as they are, but as they ought to be or as they are capable of becoming. Step 3: Identify the three distinct parts in that sentence: as they are, as they ought to be, and as they are capable of becoming. Step 4: Check each option and see whether it mentions only one of these parts or all of them together. Step 5: Choose the option that correctly includes all the aspects that Aristotle connects to poetry in the passage.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify your answer, ask whether the passage limits poetry to only one role, such as showing ideal characters, or whether it presents a wider range. The wording not simply as they are, but as they ought to be or as they are capable of becoming clearly suggests that poetry involves a comparison between reality and possibility. Therefore, the option that mentions only everyday reality misses two parts of the description, and the options that focus on only one of the ideal possibilities do not capture the complete view. The best option is the one that brings all three aspects together.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Option A states that poetry shows people only as they are in everyday life. This directly conflicts with the phrase not simply as they are in the passage.
• Option B focuses only on the idea of what people ought to be. Although this is part of the passage, it ignores the fact that poetry also starts from reality and includes the phrase as they are capable of becoming.
• Option C concentrates only on what people can become beyond the present, again leaving out the initial reference to people as they are and the moral idea of what they ought to be.

Common Pitfalls:
A common error is to latch onto the last phrase of a long sentence and forget the earlier parts. Many learners remember only the phrase capable of becoming and then choose an option that includes only that idea. Others may focus on the moral phrase ought to be and ignore the rest. These mistakes come from reading only part of the sentence. The best strategy is to underline or mentally note each distinct phrase that describes what poetry shows and then choose the option that covers all of them.

Final Answer:
In the passage, Aristotle is presented as saying that poetry shows human beings in three ways: as they are, as they ought to be, and as they are capable of becoming. Therefore, the correct option is Poetry shows human beings as they are, as they ought to be, and as they are capable of becoming.