To Fly

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Read the following passage from “To Fly.” For millennia, the idea of being able to fly occupied human dreams and fantasies. Waddling around on Earth’s surface as majestic birds flew overhead, perhaps we developed a form of wing envy. One might even call it wing worship. What is the author saying about humans?

• They want the powers that they observe in other creatures

• They sometimes pray to birds because birds are magnificent

• They should give up on the notion that they will ever outfly birds.

• They live in a world of fantasy instead of keeping their feet on the ground

Read the following passage from “To Fly.” We did, however, ultimately learn to fly because of the technological ingenuity afforded by our human brains. And of course, while birds can fly, they are nonetheless stuck with bird brains. But this self-aggrandizing line of reasoning is somewhat flawed, because it ignores all the millennia that we were technologically flightless. What does the author mean when he says that this line of reasoning is flawed?

• We may be smarter than birds, yet we failed to fly until very recently.

• Bird brains may be just what is needed in order to fly successfully

• We cannot logically compare the brains of two different species.

• We humans typically exaggerate our accomplishments.

What key point is the author supporting in “To Fly” with his allusions to eagles, Superman, angels, Cupid, and Peter Pan?

• Wings are not just for birds.

• Humans idolize creatures that fly

• Some wings work better than others.

• Flying can give people superpowers.

According to this passage from “To Fly,” what is one way in which the Wright brothers’ flight differed from earlier flights? Wilbur and Orville Wright were the first to fly a heavier-than-air, engine-powered vehicle that carried a human being—Orville, in this case—and that did not land at a lower elevation than its takeoff point. Previously, people had flown in balloon gondolas and in gliders and had executed controlled descents from the sides of cliffs, but none of those efforts would have made a bird jealous

• The flight carried more people

• The flight did not land downhill.

• The flight did not need an engine

• The flight was entirely man-made.

. In “To Fly,” how does the author respond to Kelvin’s assertion about flight?

• He suggests that technological ingenuity can solve all problems.

• He points out that birds are heavier than air, yet they fly.

• He reminds the reader that Kelvin was not an inventor.

• He reveals plans for a self-propelled airplane.

What is the main theme of the passage 'To Fly'?

• The human desire to fly

• The superiority of birds over humans

• The technological advancements in aviation

• The history of flight

In the context of 'To Fly,' what does 'wing envy' refer to?

• A desire to have wings like birds

• A fear of flying

• A fascination with airplanes

• A dislike for birds