Katherine Johnson / Malala Yousafzai

First and Last Name:

1. Which sentence from the selection explains the historical context of why Katherine Johnson was a pioneer at NASA?

• Katherine Johnson is an African American mathematician who worked for NASA from 1953 until 1986.
• At age 18, Johnson graduated with very high grades and degrees in mathematics and French.
• With the information she provided, astronauts walked on the moon for the first time on July 20, 1969.
• In 2016, she received honorary doctorates in science from West Virginia University and West Virginia State University.

2. Which of the following statements best describes the controlling idea of the text?

• Katherine Johnson had a difficult childhood, but after beginning work at NACA, she faced fewer segregation issues.
• Katherine Johnson overcame racial and gender segregation issues to become one of the top mathematicians at NASA.
• Katherine Johnson wanted to become a teacher, but her husband’s illness forced her to find other employment.
• Katherine Johnson’s accurate calculations in her work at NASA made the first moon landing possible.

3. By using a problem-solution organizational pattern in paragraph 12, the author is able to emphasize --

• Advantages of computer technology over manual calculation
• Obstacles encountered by Johnson due to her race and sex
• Reasons why the Soviet Union was the first nation to put a human into Earth orbit
• Admiration and respect for Johnson among her colleagues

4. How do the details about Johnson’s early life in paragraph 2 and 3 help you understand her later successes?

• Johnson’s early academic success makes her later accomplishments seem less impressive.
• Johnson’s love of counting things revealed her passion for mathematical preciseness.
• Beginning college at age 15 meant that Johnson was segregated by her age as wella s race and gender.
• Her struggles to go to school showed how much she developed before she began working at NASA.

5. What is the best summary of the selection?

• Katherine Johnson was a child eager to learn more about math because she counted everything. She graduated from college, but she married instead of continuing with a career.
• Katherine Johnson used her childhood love of counting to become a skilled mathematical researcher. In her work as a human computer at NASA, she overcame barriers and became an important person in the success of NASA’s space programs in the 1960s.
• After Katherine Johnson graduated from college, she became a teacher, until she was hired by NACA to become a human computer. As an African American woman, she was not allowed to attend meetings with the male engineers and scientists, but her expertise made her a leader.
• Graduating from high school at 15 allowed Katherine Johnson to get an early start in college. A processor took a special interest in making sure she had all the mathematical training she needed to become a mathematical researcher. He even created a special course in geometry for her.

6. The author’s main purpose in writing the selection is to --

• Demonstrate how important it is for educators to take a personal interest in the success of their students
• Explain why being an African American woman was a hindrance to a career at NASA
• Argue that the segregation of people because of race and gender leads to their success in the workplace
• Describe the life story of one African American woman who became a significant member of NASA’s space missions.

7. Why is the photograph of Katherine Johnson following paragraph 8 included in the selection?

• To demonstrate the limitations that Katherine Johnson suffered as an African American woman
• To show how much Katherine Johnson enjoyed her work at NASA
• To show Katherine as a professional human computer, using her brain and her hands to make calculations
• To illustrate how Katherine Johnson was not allowed to participate in meetings with men

BONUS: The photograph of Katherine Johnson following paragraph 16 is included in the selection in order to--

• a. Illustrate Johnson's life and career after leaving NASA
• b. Emphasize that Johnson is respected as an important figure today
• c. Display an honorary doctoral degree in science that she earned in 2016
• d. Add detail regarding the segregated West Area Computer division of NASA

BONUS: The author organizes th selection mainly by--

• a. Explaining that science careers were mostly occupied by men before Katherine Johnson became an exception
• b. Summarizing Katherine Johnson's career accomplishments and then describing details about her lifetime.
• c. Presenting the accomplishments of Katherine Johnson and then describing her work methods.
• d. Listing reasons that Katherine Johnson is an important historical figure and then convincing readers that she deserves more recognition.