Question

11th grade pre-assessment
jackson’s own path to an engineering career at the nasa langley research center was far from direct. a native of hampton, virginia, she graduated from the historically black hampton institute in 1942 with a dual degree in math and physical sciences. she then accepted a job as a math teacher at a black school in calvert county, maryland. hampton had become one of the nerve centers of the world war ii home front effort; after a year of teaching, jackson returned home, finding a position as the receptionist at the king street uso club, which served the city’s black population. it would take three more career changes before jackson landed at the langley memorial aeronautical laboratory’s segregated west area computing section in 1951.
after two years in the computing pool, jackson received an offer to work for engineer kazimierz czarnecki in the 4-foot by 4-foot supersonic pressure tunnel...
assessment questions
how does paragraph 2 contribute to the development of ideas in the article?
a. it shows jackson’s passion for science.
b. it emphasizes jackson’s courage during wartime.
c. it demonstrates jackson’s commitment to supporting youth.
d. it highlights jackson’s wide range of professional experience.

Explanation:

Paragraph 2 describes Jackson's different career roles: math teacher, receptionist, and then her position at Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory, along with other career changes. This shows she had a variety of professional experiences, matching option D. Option A is incorrect as the paragraph focuses on career moves, not passion for science. Option B is wrong as there's no emphasis on courage during wartime. Option C is incorrect as the paragraph isn't about supporting youth.

Answer:

D. It highlights Jackson's wide range of professional experience.