Chapter 7 Hidden Figures: Vocabulary and Comprehension Questions

Turbulence is the ______ or unsteady movement of air.

• violent

• gentle

• slow

• predictable

Maneuverability is the ease with which something can be ______ or directed.

• steered

• painted

• measured

• broken

Duration is the time during which something ______.

• continues

• stops

• changes

• disappears

NACA supported its expectations for employees to produce high-quality work by:

• Providing regular training, offered classes and hands-on-training in the wind tunnels

• Allowing employees to set their own standards

• Focusing only on quantity over quality

• Ignoring employee performance

Why is smoothly flowing air important to how a plane functions?

• It helps the plane fly efficiently by reducing drag.

• It increases the weight of the plane.

• It causes turbulence and instability.

• It makes the engines work harder.

Why was it beneficial for NACA to begin using wind tunnels?

• Because wind tunnels allowed for controlled testing of aircraft designs without endangering their test pilots.

• Because wind tunnels were less expensive than building real aircraft.

• Because wind tunnels could replace all flight tests.

• Because wind tunnels were required by law.

Why didn’t the computers (mathematicians) know specific details about the data they were given?

• Because the data was classified.

• Because they were not allowed to see all of the data since it was broken down into smaller pieces.

• Because the data was encrypted.

• Because they only received coded messages.

Who were the Tuskegee Airmen?

• They were a group of white pilots that fought in WWII .

• They were a group of men that fought in WWII.

• They were a group of black pilots that fought in WWII and flew P-51 Mustang planes.

• They were a group of students that are off task and out of their seats.

Could the employees at NACA discuss their work at the lab with anyone else?

• Yes

• No

What does Dorothy Vaughan do at NACA?

• She works at Langley in the cafeteria as a cook.

• She works at Langley, learning about automobiles and speed trajectories.

• She works at Langley as an engineer so she can make a difference and contribute to the war effort.

• She works at Langley, learning about aerodynamics and contributing to the war effort by analyzing data from wind tunnel experiments.