- 1. Hidden Figures, written by Margot Lee Shetterly, is a compelling historical narrative that shines a light on the remarkable contributions of African American women mathematicians at NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program. It tells the inspiring true stories of women such as Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, who overcame racial and gender barriers in a segregated America to make significant advancements in aerospace technology and mathematics. The book delves into the intersection of race, gender, and scientific achievement, highlighting how these women's expertise and perseverance were essential to the success of pivotal missions, including John Glenn's orbital flight. Shetterly's account is not only a tribute to these unsung heroes but also a powerful commentary on the broader social changes occurring during the Civil Rights Movement, emphasizing the important roles these women played both in their workplaces and in the fight for equality. Through meticulous research and engaging storytelling, Shetterly honors the legacy of these mathematicians, encouraging readers to recognize and appreciate the often-overlooked contributions of minorities in STEM fields.
Who was the first American to orbit Earth?
A) Alan Shepard
B) Neil Armstrong
C) Gus Grissom
D) John Glenn
- 2. What was Dorothy Vaughan's significant career achievement?
A) Becoming NASA's first black supervisor
B) Writing the Apollo guidance software
C) Designing the Saturn V rocket
D) Inventing the modern calculator
- 3. What was Katherine Johnson's most famous calculation?
A) Space Shuttle reentry path
B) Hubble Telescope orbit
C) Trajectory for John Glenn's Friendship 7 mission
D) Moon landing coordinates
- 4. Which NASA program featured prominently in the book?
A) International Space Station
B) Space Shuttle program
C) Mercury program
D) Mars Rover missions
- 5. What was Mary Jackson's engineering specialty?
A) Aerospace engineering
B) Electrical engineering
C) Chemical engineering
D) Nuclear engineering
- 6. How did the women combat workplace discrimination?
A) By seeking political office
B) By organizing strikes
C) Through legal lawsuits
D) Through excellence and persistence
- 7. What technological advancement threatened the human computers' jobs?
A) Nuclear power
B) Electronic computers
C) Robotics
D) Satellite technology
- 8. Which president set the goal of reaching the moon?
A) John F. Kennedy
B) Richard Nixon
C) Dwight Eisenhower
D) Lyndon Johnson
- 9. What was the 'West Area' at Langley?
A) Segregated workplace for black women
B) Rocket testing facility
C) Aircraft hangar
D) Administrative headquarters
- 10. How did Katherine Johnson gain access to previously restricted meetings?
A) Her mathematical contributions earned inclusion
B) Through legal action
C) By disguising herself
D) Through family connections
- 11. What did Mary Jackson have to do to become an engineer?
A) Get special permission to attend white-only classes
B) Take correspondence courses
C) Study abroad
D) Move to another state
- 12. What was the primary purpose of Langley Research Center?
A) Rocket manufacturing
B) Astronaut training
C) Aeronautics research
D) Satellite deployment
- 13. How did Dorothy Vaughan prepare for technological changes?
A) Studied rocket science
B) Became an astronaut
C) Wrote technical manuals
D) Learned programming languages
- 14. What barrier did Mary Jackson break?
A) NASA's first black female engineer
B) First woman in space
C) First female NASA director
D) First black astronaut
- 15. What was the Friendship 7?
A) Langley research building
B) Space program nickname
C) John Glenn's spacecraft
D) NASA's first computer
- 16. Where did many of the women mathematicians graduate from?
A) Ivy League universities
B) European universities
C) Historically Black Colleges
D) Military academies
- 17. Which program followed the Mercury program?
A) Apollo program
B) Skylab program
C) Gemini program
D) Space Shuttle program
- 18. Which mathematician was the first African American woman to become a NASA engineer?
A) Mary Jackson
B) Christine Darden
C) Dorothy Vaughan
D) Katherine Johnson
- 19. Which character becomes a supervisor of the West Area Computing unit?
A) Christine Darden
B) Katherine Johnson
C) Mary Jackson
D) Dorothy Vaughan
- 20. What segregation policy was practiced at NASA during this period?
A) Limited work hours
B) Separate facilities
C) No hiring of minorities
D) Separate pay scales
- 21. Which mathematician calculated the trajectory for Alan Shepard's spaceflight?
A) Dorothy Vaughan
B) Mary Jackson
C) Christine Darden
D) Katherine Johnson
- 22. Which character later worked on supersonic flight research?
A) Dorothy Vaughan
B) Mary Jackson
C) Katherine Johnson
D) Christine Darden
- 23. What was Dorothy Vaughan's first position at NACA?
A) Engineer
B) Supervisor
C) Teacher
D) Mathematician
- 24. What was the predecessor agency to NASA?
A) NOAA
B) NACA
C) NSF
D) DOD
- 25. What programming language did Dorothy Vaughan master?
A) BASIC
B) ALGOL
C) COBOL
D) FORTRAN
- 26. What educational background did most human computers have?
A) Computer science degrees
B) Engineering degrees
C) Physics degrees
D) Mathematics degrees
- 27. What was the name of the first American in space?
A) Gus Grissom
B) Alan Shepard
C) John Glenn
D) Neil Armstrong
- 28. What was the original publication year of 'Hidden Figures'?
A) 2014
B) 2012
C) 2018
D) 2016
- 29. Which historical period forms the backdrop of the book?
A) Civil Rights Movement
B) Vietnam War
C) Great Depression
D) World War I
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