Bessie Coleman Questions

1. Which statement best expresses a central idea of paragraph 2?

• A. Sticks and rudder pedals were used in both cockpits of the airplane.

• B. People learned how to fly airplanes by observing the actions of the pilot.

• C. Metal tailskids would create friction to slow the airplanes as they landed.

• D. Pilots maneuvered their airplanes by using vertical sticks and rudder pedals.

2. What do the details in paragraph 7 most reveal about Bessie Coleman?

• her preference for planes made in France

• her desire to share her knowledge with others

• her desire to travel throughout the United States

• her dissatisfaction with performing as a barnstormer

3. What is the main way paragraph 3 connects with paragraph 8?

• by referring to the altitude to which Coleman flew

• by describing Coleman's popularity with crowds

• by indicating the types of planes Coleman flew

• by demonstrating Coleman's skills as a pilot

4. How do paragraphs 8 and 9 develop a central idea in the article?

• by referring to the thousands of people watching the first female African-American aviator

• by indicating that Coleman was prohibited from flying the plane without another pilot

• by illustrating how the first female African-American pilot flew in loops while tilting the plane

• by describing how Coleman wanted to fly a type of plane with which she was unfamiliar

5. The tone of paragraph 9 can best be described as

• anxious, due to the dangerous jump of the stuntman

• tense, because of the height to which the airplane flew

• delighted, due to the reaction of the crowd to the stuntman

• enthusiastic, because people were excited for the opportunity to fly

6. Which statement best describes why Coleman goes to flight school in France?

• She knows there are more aircraft manufacturers in France.

• She is denied the opportunity to train as a pilot in the United States.

• She believes flying is more popular in France than in the United States.

• She knows she will be able to learn by observing her instructors in France.

7. Which sentence would be most important to include in a summary of the article?

• Coleman first takes flying lessons in a twenty-seven-foot biplane.

• Coleman claims flying in France is as popular as driving cars in America.

• Coleman is described by newspapers as a careful but skilled pilot.

• Coleman is the first African-American woman to perform a solo flight.