Why do odysseus and his men stay longer than planned on the island of helios, and what are the consequences of this delay?

because when Odysseus went and prayed to all of the gods who owned Olympus when he closed his eyes they did nothing but make him go to sleep. And that resulted in his men eating the cattle of Helios again which made Helios mad and he told Zeus that if he didn't punish the men the sun would never come up which would have resulted in the crops not growing and people dying from starvation.

the correct answer is a.

since in the sentence the word beacon is used as "guide".

lighthouse:

high tower located on the coasts and ports that emits a powerful light at intervals to guide navigators at night.

luminous tower.

beacon synonyms as a guide: lighthouse, north, tower