Question

edith clarke (1883-1959)
(excerpt)

1 born in the nineteenth century when women of a certain social class were not expected to work, edith clarke broke free of binding stereotypes to join the cutting edge of the information revolution of the twentieth century. as an electrical engineer for general electric (ge), clarke spent twenty years improving power systems. then, as a professor at the university of texas at austin, clarke wrote a textbook that became the standard of her field. her story is an inspiration for women in a field still dominated by men.

2 on february 10, 1883, edith clarke was born on a four-hundred acre farm about three miles from ellicott city in howard county, maryland. as a child, she was sent to briarley hall, a boarding school for girls in montgomery county, maryland...

3 after graduation, edith returned home... against the advice of her family and friends, edith decided to use a small inheritance to attend vassar college. as a member of the first generation of women in america to attend college in serious numbers, edith was an oddity at home, but found many kindred spirits upon arriving at vassar. she began when she was eighteen, threw herself into the pleasures of co-ed life, majored in math and astronomy,

select the correct answer.

which sentence from the passage supports the idea that edith clarke was respected by others in her field for her accomplishments as an electrical engineer?

\while at the university of texas, clarke was also a consultant on the design of a number of dams in the west.\ (paragraph 6)

\edith clarke broke free of binding stereotypes to join the cutting edge of the information revolution of the twentieth century.\ (paragraph 1)

\she was the first woman to earn professional standing in tau beta pi, the nations largest and oldest electrical engineering fraternity.\ (paragraph 7)

\in 1919, edith clarke became the first woman to earn a master of science degree in electrical engineering at mit.\ (paragraph 4)

Explanation:

Analyze the core question

The question asks for the sentence from the passage that supports the idea that Edith Clarke was respected by others in her field for her accomplishments as an electrical engineer.

Evaluate the given options

• Option 1 discusses her role as a consultant on dams, which shows her employment/activity but does not directly demonstrate peer respect or professional recognition in her field.
• Option 2 describes her breaking stereotypes, which is about her personal determination and historical context rather than peer respect.
• Option 3 states she was "the first woman to earn professional standing in Tau Beta Pi, the nation's largest and oldest electrical engineering fraternity." Earning professional standing in a major national professional fraternity directly indicates recognition and respect from peers in her field.
• Option 4 mentions her earning a degree from MIT, which is an academic achievement but does not directly show professional respect from others in her field of work.

Select the best supporting evidence

The third option directly links her accomplishments to professional recognition and respect by peers within a major national engineering organization.

Answer:

• "While at the University of Texas, Clarke was also a consultant on the design of a number of dams in the West." (paragraph 6)
• "Edith Clarke broke free of binding stereotypes to join the cutting edge of the information revolution of the twentieth century." (paragraph 1)
• "She was the first woman to earn professional standing in Tau Beta Pi, the nation's largest and oldest electrical engineering fraternity." (paragraph 7) (Correct answer)
• "In 1919, Edith Clarke became the first woman to earn a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering at MIT." (paragraph 4)