What does it mean to be
literate and why is it important?

Hey there!

Literate means having the ability to read and write. It is important to be literate because reading and writing are everyday skills. Conversations would be difficult if you can't understand what the other person is saying, and if you weren't literate, or illiterate, and were asked to read something, you might have a very, very embarrassing and confusing moment.

Let me know if this helps :)

what motivates odysseus to tell a lie to the cyclops

we need to see the examples!