II - Stave III Quiz — Heart of Darkness

What natural phenomenon traps the steamboat at the opening of this section?

• A violent thunderstorm
• A thick, impenetrable fog
• A sudden flood that raises the water level
• A fallen tree blocking the channel

How do the African crew members react to the fog compared to the white pilgrims?

• They panic more than the pilgrims
• They remain alert and naturally interested while the whites are greatly discomposed
• They immediately abandon the steamboat
• They pray for the fog to lift

What does the African headman say he wants to do with any attackers?

• Fight them with spears
• Eat them
• Trade with them for food
• Capture them and hold them for ransom

How were the African crew members compensated for their work?

• With gold coins from the trading company
• With three pieces of brass wire per week, each about nine inches long
• With shares in the ivory trade profits
• With European canned food from the ship's stores

What reason does Marlow give for why the African crew does not overpower the Europeans?

• They feared European weapons
• They were bound by a contractual agreement
• A mysterious, unexplainable human restraint
• They believed the Europeans were gods

What does the manager say to Marlow about proceeding through the fog?

• He orders Marlow to turn back immediately
• He says "I authorize you to take all the risks"
• He suggests anchoring until morning
• He offers to navigate the steamboat himself

How does Marlow interpret the cries from the riverbank?

• As war cries signaling an imminent attack
• As an irresistible impression of sorrow and grief
• As a welcoming celebration for the steamboat
• As communication between distant villages

The pilgrims threw the African crew's hippo-meat overboard.

Marlow agreed to navigate through the fog when the manager pressured him.

What does "recondite" mean as used in this passage?

• Dangerous and life-threatening
• Obscure or not easily understood
• Generous and charitable
• Directly related to navigation

What does "inexorable" mean as used in the phrase "inexorable physical necessity"?

• Easily overcome with willpower
• Impossible to stop or prevent; relentless
• Related to the body rather than the mind
• Rare and unusual

What does "serried" mean in the phrase "the trees stood in serried ranks"?

• Dying and leafless
• Standing close together in dense rows
• Arranged in a circular pattern
• Towering to enormous heights