Flying Solo Passage

Read the sentence from paragraph 2. The voices of those who said I would never learn to fly seemed so far away now. What does this sentence suggest about the author?

• The author still believes the words of the people who said she would not learn how to fly.

• When the plane takes off, the author cannot and does not try to hear the people on the ground.

• The author learned how to fly so she could get away from the people who did not believe in her.

• Once the author succeeded in her goal, the people who had doubted her were in her past and did not matter anymore.

Read the sentence from paragraph 3. I began flying lessons at the age of 14, but the Federal Aviation Administration requires you to be 16 before you make your first solo flight (a flight with no help from anyone else), and so I had to wait two long years until I could fly a plane by myself. What is the meaning of requires as it is used above?

• makes it clear

• makes it difficult

• makes it necessary

• makes it important

Read the sentence from paragraph 3. However, by the next day, I had subdued those fears and was eager to try again. Think about the prefix sub-. What does subdued mean in the sentence above?

• got under control

• controlled before

• shared control

• lost control

Read the sentence from paragraph 5. Houses, cars, and trees all looked like tiny toys that could fit in the palm of my hand. What does the author’s word choice in paragraph 5 suggest about her feelings when she flies?

• She wants to return to the ground.

• The world below seems less serious.

• She feels like she is more important.

• The distance to the ground makes her nervous.

Reread paragraph 6. Why is it important to monitor the winds before flying a plane?

• Winds can affect a pilot’s feelings.

• High winds can affect a person’s ability to control the plane.

• Winds will impact the throttle.

• If the winds are too low, the plane can’t take off.

What is the central idea of paragraphs 7–9?

• The author expected the morning to go differently than it did.

• The author pushed the throttle, and she made three successful landings.

• The author successfully completed her preflight checklist, and she pulled off the runway.

• The author and her father knew she was ready to fly on her own, and it was the happiest day of her life.

Read the sentence from paragraph 11. I learned that day that no matter how many people tell you that you can’t do something, if you believe in yourself, you can soar. Based on this sentence, what is a theme of the article? Use details from the article to support your answer.

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