Answer:
A. The reference to the slaves as mere "cargo."
Step-by-step explanation:
In the Commonlit passage "Olaudah Equiano Recalls the Middle Passage", the narrative of the slave's conditions aboard the ship was described by Equiano. Part A of the question is to find the nearest meaning of the phrase "improvident avarice" as is used in paragraph 6, which is the "reckless greed" of the purchasers.
And part B of the question is to provide supporting evidence for Part A. So, the use of the phrase "improvident avarice" in paragraph 6 can be best supported by the referencing of the slaves as mere "cargo". This use of the term suggests that the slaves bought and kept in a crowded "hold" suggests that they were unfit to be called humans and were just 'possessions, cargo, belongings' etc. for the new owners.
Thus, the correct answer is option A.