Who Is Katherine Johnson?

Part A: Which of the following statements best describes the central idea of the text?

• Katherine Johnson overcame racial and gender discrimination and became one of the top mathematicians at NASA.

• Katherine Jonson wanted to work for NASA, but her status as an African American woman prevented her from doing so.

• Katherine Johnson was responsible for designing the first space probe sent to the Moon.

• Katherine Johnson had a difficult childhood, but after beginning work at NASA, she faced less discrimination.

Part B: Which section from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

• "In a time when minorities held very few jobs in mathematics and science, Johnson was a trailblazer." (Paragraph 1)

• "Johnson could vividly recall watching her older siblings go to school, wishing so much that she could go with them."(Paragraph 3)

• "As Johnson worked on math problems with other female computers, she would ask questions." (Paragraph 9)

• "She encouraged students to learn more about mathematics and science - and to never give up on their dreams." (Paragraph 15)

Which statement best describes the effect of the words "immersed" and "inquisitive" on the meaning of paragraph 4?

• They suggest that Katherine Johnson would ask questions of other students to study more effectively.

• They suggest that Katherine Johnson was exceeding the expectations of her family had set for her.

• They show that Katherine Johnson's professors were committed to helping her succeed in her career.

• They show that Katherine Johnson approached the study of mathematics with energy and enthusiasm.

Part A: How do the details about Johnson's early life in paragraphs 2-3 help us understand her later success?

• Her struggles in school show how much she developed during her early life before working for NASA.

• By describing her love of counting, the text shows that Johnson was always passionate about math.

• Johnson's enrollment in college at just 15 years old emphasizes how different she was from her peers.

• Johnson's early academic success made her later accomplishments seem less impressive in comparison.

Part B: Which detail from paragraphs 2-3 best supports the answer to Part A?

• "She counted everything, from the number of steps she took to get to the road to the number of forks and plates she washed when doing the dishes." (Paragraph 2)

• "At a young age, she was very eager to go to school." (Paragraph 3)

• "Johnson could vividly recall watching her older siblings go to school, wishing so much that she could go with them." (Paragraph 3)

• "She so excelled that by age 10, she was in high school. By age 15, she'd started college!" (Paragraph 3)