The Great Aviation Communicator

1. Which sentence shows that Chanute was more interested in developing a flying machine than in gaining fame for himself?

• A. Alan B. Shepherd, the first American in space, called Octave Chanute a remarkable man of vision (paragraph 3)
• B. He collected and studied materials on heavier-than-flight. (paragraph 5)
• C. He gave speeches, kept a diary, and carefully recorded the results of his own experiments. (paragraph 12)
• D. But Chanute first felt the conquest of flight was a tremendous task that required teamwork. (paragraph 13)

2. Read the information about the origin of the word immerse. from Latin immersus‚ meaning “plunged in or submerged” Based on this information‚ what is the meaning of immersed in paragraph 4?

• A. Spent time relaxing
• B. Became deeply engaged
• C. Asked for advice
• D. Developed new designs

3. What is the best paraphrase of paragraph 7?

• A. By the late 1800s, model airplanes were used by gliding expert Otto Lilienthal to learn about flight. He wondered if it would be better to use gliders that were bigger. This idea led him to experiment with full-scale gliders and eventually led to the success of aviation.
• B. By the late 1800s, Otto Lilienthal realized that it would be better to use full-scale gliders rather than model airplanes to learn about flight. Chanute agreed with Lilienthal, and Chanute spent several years working on glider designs near Lake Michigan.
• C. By the late 1800s, gliders that could carry passengers were being used by aviators such as Otto Lilienthal and Chanute to test the properties of flight. These aviators had realized that using smaller planes was unwise.
• D. By the late 1800s, most attempts at flight relied on the use of model airplanes. However, aviation expert Otto Lilienthal was convinced that success in flight required practicing with full-sized gliders that could carry a passenger.

4. In paragraphs 5 through 11, how is the information organized to help develop the thesis?

• A. By chronologically detailing information about Chanute’s work in the field of aviation throughout the years after his retirement.
• B. By ranking the accomplishments of several major aviators in order of importance.
• C. By explaining solutions to problems faced by many who wanted to improve the mechanics of flight
• D. By comparing the work of Chanute early in his career to the work he completed later in life

5. Based on information throughout the selection, what can the reader conclude about the field of aviation?

• A. The field of aviation was limited to engineers during Chanute’s lifetime.
• B. The field of aviation was appealing to many because of the chance for profit.
• C. The field of aviation was in its very early stages during Chanute’s lifetime.
• D. The field of aviation was more popular in the United States than in other countries.

6. What can the reader infer about Chanute based on paragraph 11?

• A. Chanute understood that the field of aviation needed to make faster progress
• B. Chanute was truly committed to supporting the work of other aviators
• C. Chanute realized the Wright brothers had made more progress in the field of aviation than he had
• D. Chanute thought that the Wright brothers were more deserving of support than other aviators

7. How does the information in paragraph 1 contribute to the controlling idea that successes in aviation were the result of a collaborative effort?

• A. By establishing the importance of learning more about the history of aviation from people and events of the past.
• B. By suggesting that the Wright brothers were not the only contributors to advancements in aviation.
• C. By conveying the significance of the Wright brothers in adding power and control to flight experiments.
• D. By highlighting that both successes and failures were important to the study of aviation.

What do paragraphs 11 and 12 suggest about Chanute? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.