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A Descent into the Maelstrom Trivia Quiz

This is one of my favorite Poe stories. It may not be the most popular but I think it's one of the best.

A multiple-choice quiz by srfield99. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
srfield99

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
277,776

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
8 / 10

Plays
345

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The mountain from which the old man related his story was on the coastline of which country? Hint

Germany

Norway

England

Canada

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Question 2 of 10

2. What was the maelstrom? Hint

A gigantic waterfall.

A whirlpool, nearly a mile in diameter.

An area similar to the Bermuda Triangle.

A deadly rip current.

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Question 3 of 10

3. What two kinds of animals did the old man describe as having perished in the maelstrom? Hint

A walrus and a leopard seal.

A bear and some whales.

A dolphin and a whale shark.

Two unfortunate giant squids.

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Question 4 of 10

4. What did the native people call the maelstrom? Hint

The "moskoe-strom".

The "Devourer of Souls".

The "Thunder of God".

The "Abyss".

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Question 5 of 10

5. How did the old man and his brothers end up in the grip of the maelstrom? Hint

They had no compass and were way off course.

They were unaware that the maelstrom existed.

A sudden hurricane disabled their boat.

They were catching a lot of fish and weren't paying attention.

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Question 6 of 10

6. What did one of the brothers do, much to the horror of the old man? Hint

He let down the mainsail and took away their last hope of escape.

He leapt from the boat and immediately perished.

He tried to force the old man's hands off a ring on the boat so he could hang onto it himself.

He stabbed himself to hasten his fate.

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Question 7 of 10

7. The bigger an object was, the better chance it had of surviving the maelstrom.

True

False

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Question 8 of 10

8. What type of force most accurately describes the behavior of objects caught in the maelstrom? Hint

Gravity.

Magnetic force.

Water erosion.

Centrifugal force.

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Question 9 of 10

9. How did the old man survive the ordeal? Hint

He steered the boat directly into the heart of the maelstrom.

He was the strongest swimmer.

He didn't-the old man turned out to be a spirit.

He lashed himself to a water cask and did not plunge as deep as the boat, itself.

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Question 10 of 10

10. What was changed about the old man after his experience? Hint

He wasn't as strong, physically.

His hair was pure white.

His nerves were unstrung.

All three.

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The mountain from which the old man related his story was on the coastline of which country?

Answer: Norway

He told it from the peak of "the loftiest crag."

2. What was the maelstrom?

Answer: A whirlpool, nearly a mile in diameter.

A giant whirlpool that can suck up anything!

3. What two kinds of animals did the old man describe as having perished in the maelstrom?

Answer: A bear and some whales.

Wrong place at the wrong time!

4. What did the native people call the maelstrom?

Answer: The "moskoe-strom".

They named it after the island of Moskoe which lay in the middle.

5. How did the old man and his brothers end up in the grip of the maelstrom?

Answer: A sudden hurricane disabled their boat.

That really sucked. Sorry, bad joke.

6. What did one of the brothers do, much to the horror of the old man?

Answer: He tried to force the old man's hands off a ring on the boat so he could hang onto it himself.

The old man attributed it to his brother's temporary madness and terror.

7. The bigger an object was, the better chance it had of surviving the maelstrom.

Answer: False

Smaller objects clung to the sides better and did not descend as far.

8. What type of force most accurately describes the behavior of objects caught in the maelstrom?

Answer: Centrifugal force.

Objects clung to the sides because of the rapid spinning motion.

9. How did the old man survive the ordeal?

Answer: He lashed himself to a water cask and did not plunge as deep as the boat, itself.

The water cask didn't sink very far and came up when the whirlpool ceased.

10. What was changed about the old man after his experience?

Answer: All three.

I doubt that he went anywhere near that thing again!

Source: Author srfield99

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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