- 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) Neil Armstrong
B) Alan Shepard
C) John Glenn
D) Gus Grissom
- 2. What was Dorothy Vaughan's significant career achievement?
A) Inventing the modern calculator
B) Writing the Apollo guidance software
C) Designing the Saturn V rocket
D) Becoming NASA's first black supervisor
- 3. What was Katherine Johnson's most famous calculation?
A) Hubble Telescope orbit
B) Trajectory for John Glenn's Friendship 7 mission
C) Space Shuttle reentry path
D) Moon landing coordinates
- 4. Which NASA program featured prominently in the book?
A) International Space Station
B) Mercury program
C) Mars Rover missions
D) Space Shuttle program
- 5. What was Mary Jackson's engineering specialty?
A) Nuclear engineering
B) Electrical engineering
C) Aerospace engineering
D) Chemical 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) Satellite technology
C) Electronic computers
D) Robotics
- 8. Which president set the goal of reaching the moon?
A) Dwight Eisenhower
B) Richard Nixon
C) Lyndon Johnson
D) John F. Kennedy
- 9. What was the 'West Area' at Langley?
A) Administrative headquarters
B) Segregated workplace for black women
C) Rocket testing facility
D) Aircraft hangar
- 10. How did Katherine Johnson gain access to previously restricted meetings?
A) Through legal action
B) By disguising herself
C) Her mathematical contributions earned inclusion
D) Through family connections
- 11. What did Mary Jackson have to do to become an engineer?
A) Move to another state
B) Get special permission to attend white-only classes
C) Study abroad
D) Take correspondence courses
- 12. What was the primary purpose of Langley Research Center?
A) Satellite deployment
B) Aeronautics research
C) Astronaut training
D) Rocket manufacturing
- 13. How did Dorothy Vaughan prepare for technological changes?
A) Studied rocket science
B) Wrote technical manuals
C) Became an astronaut
D) Learned programming languages
- 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) Space program nickname
B) Langley research building
C) NASA's first computer
D) John Glenn's spacecraft
- 16. Where did many of the women mathematicians graduate from?
A) Historically Black Colleges
B) Ivy League universities
C) European universities
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) Christine Darden
B) Katherine Johnson
C) Mary Jackson
D) Dorothy Vaughan
- 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) Separate pay scales
D) No hiring of minorities
- 21. Which mathematician calculated the trajectory for Alan Shepard's spaceflight?
A) Katherine Johnson
B) Dorothy Vaughan
C) Mary Jackson
D) Christine Darden
- 22. Which character later worked on supersonic flight research?
A) Mary Jackson
B) Dorothy Vaughan
C) Katherine Johnson
D) Christine Darden
- 23. What was Dorothy Vaughan's first position at NACA?
A) Supervisor
B) Teacher
C) Mathematician
D) Engineer
- 24. What was the predecessor agency to NASA?
A) NSF
B) NOAA
C) DOD
D) NACA
- 25. What programming language did Dorothy Vaughan master?
A) COBOL
B) BASIC
C) ALGOL
D) FORTRAN
- 26. What educational background did most human computers have?
A) Physics degrees
B) Engineering degrees
C) Computer science degrees
D) Mathematics degrees
- 27. What was the name of the first American in space?
A) Gus Grissom
B) Alan Shepard
C) Neil Armstrong
D) John Glenn
- 28. What was the original publication year of 'Hidden Figures'?
A) 2016
B) 2014
C) 2018
D) 2012
- 29. Which historical period forms the backdrop of the book?
A) World War I
B) Civil Rights Movement
C) Vietnam War
D) Great Depression
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