- 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) Gus Grissom
C) Neil Armstrong
D) John Glenn
- 2. What was Dorothy Vaughan's significant career achievement?
A) Writing the Apollo guidance software
B) Designing the Saturn V rocket
C) Inventing the modern calculator
D) Becoming NASA's first black supervisor
- 3. What was Katherine Johnson's most famous calculation?
A) Moon landing coordinates
B) Hubble Telescope orbit
C) Space Shuttle reentry path
D) Trajectory for John Glenn's Friendship 7 mission
- 4. Which NASA program featured prominently in the book?
A) Mercury program
B) International Space Station
C) Mars Rover missions
D) Space Shuttle program
- 5. What was Mary Jackson's engineering specialty?
A) Nuclear engineering
B) Electrical engineering
C) Chemical engineering
D) Aerospace engineering
- 6. How did the women combat workplace discrimination?
A) By organizing strikes
B) Through legal lawsuits
C) Through excellence and persistence
D) By seeking political office
- 7. What technological advancement threatened the human computers' jobs?
A) Satellite technology
B) Electronic computers
C) Robotics
D) Nuclear power
- 8. Which president set the goal of reaching the moon?
A) John F. Kennedy
B) Lyndon Johnson
C) Dwight Eisenhower
D) Richard Nixon
- 9. What was the 'West Area' at Langley?
A) Rocket testing facility
B) Segregated workplace for black women
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 family connections
C) Through legal action
D) By disguising herself
- 11. What did Mary Jackson have to do to become an engineer?
A) Take correspondence courses
B) Study abroad
C) Move to another state
D) Get special permission to attend white-only classes
- 12. What was the primary purpose of Langley Research Center?
A) Aeronautics research
B) Astronaut training
C) Satellite deployment
D) Rocket manufacturing
- 13. How did Dorothy Vaughan prepare for technological changes?
A) Became an astronaut
B) Studied rocket science
C) Learned programming languages
D) Wrote technical manuals
- 14. What barrier did Mary Jackson break?
A) First black astronaut
B) NASA's first black female engineer
C) First woman in space
D) First female NASA director
- 15. What was the Friendship 7?
A) NASA's first computer
B) John Glenn's spacecraft
C) Space program nickname
D) Langley research building
- 16. Where did many of the women mathematicians graduate from?
A) Historically Black Colleges
B) European universities
C) Ivy League universities
D) Military academies
- 17. Which program followed the Mercury program?
A) Space Shuttle program
B) Apollo program
C) Skylab program
D) Gemini program
- 18. Which mathematician was the first African American woman to become a NASA engineer?
A) Dorothy Vaughan
B) Katherine Johnson
C) Mary Jackson
D) Christine Darden
- 19. Which character becomes a supervisor of the West Area Computing unit?
A) Dorothy Vaughan
B) Mary Jackson
C) Christine Darden
D) Katherine Johnson
- 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) Christine Darden
B) Dorothy Vaughan
C) Mary Jackson
D) Katherine Johnson
- 22. Which character later worked on supersonic flight research?
A) Katherine Johnson
B) Christine Darden
C) Dorothy Vaughan
D) Mary Jackson
- 23. What was Dorothy Vaughan's first position at NACA?
A) Mathematician
B) Teacher
C) Supervisor
D) Engineer
- 24. What was the predecessor agency to NASA?
A) NACA
B) DOD
C) NOAA
D) NSF
- 25. What programming language did Dorothy Vaughan master?
A) BASIC
B) COBOL
C) ALGOL
D) FORTRAN
- 26. What educational background did most human computers have?
A) Computer science degrees
B) Mathematics degrees
C) Engineering degrees
D) Physics degrees
- 27. What was the name of the first American in space?
A) Alan Shepard
B) Neil Armstrong
C) Gus Grissom
D) John Glenn
- 28. What was the original publication year of 'Hidden Figures'?
A) 2014
B) 2018
C) 2012
D) 2016
- 29. Which historical period forms the backdrop of the book?
A) Vietnam War
B) Civil Rights Movement
C) Great Depression
D) World War I
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