Journey to the Center of the Earth

What problem were the characters facing during this section?

• They were lost in a maze of tunnels.

• They had no water to drink.

• They couldn’t find Hans.

• They were trapped by falling rocks.

Why did Hans hit the granite wall with a pickaxe?

• A. He was trying to create a shortcut to the surface.
  

• B. He wanted to test the strength of the wall.
  

• C. He had located the spot where water could be heard.
  

• D. He was following the Professor’s orders.

Which event happened first?

• A. The narrator hears water flowing past inside the wall.
  

• B. Hans listens carefully with his ear to the rock.
  

• C. Water spurts out of the wall.
  

• D. The narrator plunges his hands into the water.

How does the narrator show persistence in this section?

• A. He continues searching for water despite weakness and thirst.
  

• B. He refuses Hans’s help.
  

• C. He plans to abandon the journey.
  

• D. He ignores his uncle’s instructions.

Which word best describes Axel’s feelings during this part of the journey?

• A. Confident

• B. Brave

• C. Patient

• D. Doubtful

Which evidence from the text best shows Axel’s persistence?

• A. “I tried to resist the pain so that I might not slow down my uncle.”
  

• B. “The walls shot sparkling rays at every angle.”
  

• C. “We are saved!” I cried.
  

• D. “It’s all over!”

Which trait best describes Professor Lidenbrock during this section?

• A. Negative
  

• B. Hopeful
  

• C. Resourceful
  

• D. Impatient

Which sentence best supports the idea that the Professor can be impatient?

• A. “We had not gone a hundred yards when the Professor… cried out.”
  

• B. “The last thing I saw before my eyes closed was my uncle flailing his arms in frustration.”
  

• C. “Hans has abandoned us,” I cried.
  

• D. “Only Hans would have thought of an idea as clever as this!”

What does the word cryptic most likely mean in the sentence “After discovering a cryptic message in an old manuscript…”?

• A. Easy to understand
  

• B. Hard to understand or mysterious
  

• C. Written in large letters
  

• D. Very old

Which word is closest in meaning to facets as used in “reflected from the small facets of quartz in the walls”?

• A. Flat surfaces or sides
  

• B. Shiny gems
  

• C. Sharp points
  

• D. Pieces of glass