Question
American Originals
American Originals
by M.G. Indiana
1 When the word "pioneer" is mentioned, most of us instantly picture a wagon train setting off across the lonely plains, looking for a new home in the West. Most certainly that is one type of pioneer who has helped to shape America — but that is not the only kind. Other pioneers have faced challenges of a different kind and, because of their courage, have opened doors to new worlds for the rest of us.
2 One wouldn't think of singers as pioneers, and yet Marian Anderson most certainly broke new ground. By 1939, she was a well-known opera and concert singer who had performed at Carnegie Hall and in concert venues across the United States and Europe. Nevertheless, in that year she was refused the right to sing in Washington's Constitution Hall because of her race. Undeterred, on Easter Sunday in 1939, she sang on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before a crowd of 75,000. Her famous concert was in many ways the tactical beginning of the modern civil rights movement. It was a peacefully staged protest concert and the first major attempt to bring balance to the themes of social justice and national unity. Almost twenty years later, she became the first African American performer at the New York Metropolitan Opera, and in 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower made her a delegate to the United Nations. In 1963, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
3 In 1981, another American woman made history. Sandra Day O'Connor became the first female member of the Supreme Court. Until her retirement in 2005, Justice O'Connor was a notable force on the bench. As a political moderate, she was often the swing vote in crucial decisions. When she began her career, things were a little different, however. She was an exceptional law student, graduating third in her class from Stanford University, but finding a position with a law firm in the 1950s was often difficult for a woman. Eventually, she turned her attention to public service. She served six years in the Arizona State Senate, part of that time as state senate majority leader. She was the first woman in any state to hold that position. Next, she served as judge on the Maricopa County Superior Court. She was then appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals. Her appointment to the Supreme Court by President Ronald Reagan in 1981 was a noteworthy step forward for women.
4 Robert Goddard, now known as the father of modern rocketry, was a man of vision who worked tirelessly to make that vision a reality. Rockets and space fascinated him from the time of his childhood days in the late 1800s. He maintained that interest in his adult life by becoming a physics professor. In 1920, he concluded a scientific article by speculating that if his technology were applied to a rocket large enough, using a powerful fuel, the rocket might well reach the moon. The New York Times picked up the story and ridiculed Goddard's notion, dismissing him publicly as an ill-informed crank. Goddard continued to experiment, but he did so as privately as possible. In 1926, one of his liquid-fueled rockets left the ground at 60 mph and managed a 2 1/2-second, 41-foot journey into the air. Years later, they would rise to 9,000 feet and travel faster than the speed of sound, but he had no desire to make his successes public. He died in 1945, and it was not until 1957 that the United States began to discuss seriously the matter of space exploration. This led to the establishment of NASA. Although this occurred twelve years after Goddard's death, his research did much to make the space age a reality. In 1959, Congress honored him with a medal. In the same year, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center was established in Maryland. Ten years later, when Apollo 11 lifted off for the moon in 1969, The New York Times published a statement acknowledging the mistaken view of their editorial about Goddard's work in 1920 and apologizing for their "error."
5 Yet another pioneer was artist Georgia O'Keeffe. By the time of her death in 1986, she was a world-renowned figure. At the beginning of the twentieth century, few women attempted a career in art, but O'Keeffe, a firm believer in originality and hard work, managed to establish herself. She commented that she was always frightened but that she never allowed that to deter her. Independent and unperturbed by either flattery or criticism, she proceeded to paint her perceptions of the world around her. Her love of nature and light drew her to the American Southwest, which offered the artist her greatest inspiration and joy. Through color, shape, and perspective, her creations won both attention and acclaim. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Gerald Ford in 1977 and the National Medal of the Arts from President Reagan in 1985, at the age of 97.
6 These four individuals demonstrate that pioneers come in many forms. Clear-eyed individuals, they held to a vision of their own that guided them on their journeys. Exceptionally gifted, each with a unique offering, these people are American originals.
Read Less ▲
Multiple Choice Question
How does the author develop the idea of a pioneer in the passage?
A.
by listing the locations where the pioneers achieved their accomplishments
B.
by describing the odds that the pioneers overcame
C.
by presenting facts about the pioneers' personal lives and beliefs
D.
by comparing and contrasting the efforts of the pioneers
American Originals
by M.G. Indiana
1 When the word "pioneer" is mentioned, most of us instantly picture a wagon train setting off across the lonely plains, looking for a new home in the West. Most certainly that is one type of pioneer who has helped to shape America — but that is not the only kind. Other pioneers have faced challenges of a different kind and, because of their courage, have opened doors to new worlds for the rest of us.
2 One wouldn't think of singers as pioneers, and yet Marian Anderson most certainly broke new ground. By 1939, she was a well-known opera and concert singer who had performed at Carnegie Hall and in concert venues across the United States and Europe. Nevertheless, in that year she was refused the right to sing in Washington's Constitution Hall because of her race. Undeterred, on Easter Sunday in 1939, she sang on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before a crowd of 75,000. Her famous concert was in many ways the tactical beginning of the modern civil rights movement. It was a peacefully staged protest concert and the first major attempt to bring balance to the themes of social justice and national unity. Almost twenty years later, she became the first African American performer at the New York Metropolitan Opera, and in 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower made her a delegate to the United Nations. In 1963, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
3 In 1981, another American woman made history. Sandra Day O'Connor became the first female member of the Supreme Court. Until her retirement in 2005, Justice O'Connor was a notable force on the bench. As a political moderate, she was often the swing vote in crucial decisions. When she began her career, things were a little different, however. She was an exceptional law student, graduating third in her class from Stanford University, but finding a position with a law firm in the 1950s was often difficult for a woman. Eventually, she turned her attention to public service. She served six years in the Arizona State Senate, part of that time as state senate majority leader. She was the first woman in any state to hold that position. Next, she served as judge on the Maricopa County Superior Court. She was then appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals. Her appointment to the Supreme Court by President Ronald Reagan in 1981 was a noteworthy step forward for women.
4 Robert Goddard, now known as the father of modern rocketry, was a man of vision who worked tirelessly to make that vision a reality. Rockets and space fascinated him from the time of his childhood days in the late 1800s. He maintained that interest in his adult life by becoming a physics professor. In 1920, he concluded a scientific article by speculating that if his technology were applied to a rocket large enough, using a powerful fuel, the rocket might well reach the moon. The New York Times picked up the story and ridiculed Goddard's notion, dismissing him publicly as an ill-informed crank. Goddard continued to experiment, but he did so as privately as possible. In 1926, one of his liquid-fueled rockets left the ground at 60 mph and managed a 2 1/2-second, 41-foot journey into the air. Years later, they would rise to 9,000 feet and travel faster than the speed of sound, but he had no desire to make his successes public. He died in 1945, and it was not until 1957 that the United States began to discuss seriously the matter of space exploration. This led to the establishment of NASA. Although this occurred twelve years after Goddard's death, his research did much to make the space age a reality. In 1959, Congress honored him with a medal. In the same year, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center was established in Maryland. Ten years later, when Apollo 11 lifted off for the moon in 1969, The New York Times published a statement acknowledging the mistaken view of their editorial about Goddard's work in 1920 and apologizing for their "error."
5 Yet another pioneer was artist Georgia O'Keeffe. By the time of her death in 1986, she was a world-renowned figure. At the beginning of the twentieth century, few women attempted a career in art, but O'Keeffe, a firm believer in originality and hard work, managed to establish herself. She commented that she was always frightened but that she never allowed that to deter her. Independent and unperturbed by either flattery or criticism, she proceeded to paint her perceptions of the world around her. Her love of nature and light drew her to the American Southwest, which offered the artist her greatest inspiration and joy. Through color, shape, and perspective, her creations won both attention and acclaim. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Gerald Ford in 1977 and the National Medal of the Arts from President Reagan in 1985, at the age of 97.
6 These four individuals demonstrate that pioneers come in many forms. Clear-eyed individuals, they held to a vision of their own that guided them on their journeys. Exceptionally gifted, each with a unique offering, these people are American originals.
Read Less ▲
Multiple Choice Question
How does the author develop the idea of a pioneer in the passage?
A.
by listing the locations where the pioneers achieved their accomplishments
B.
by describing the odds that the pioneers overcame
C.
by presenting facts about the pioneers' personal lives and beliefs
D.
by comparing and contrasting the efforts of the pioneers
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The best answer to how the author develops the idea of a pioneer in the passage is:
B. by describing the odds that the pioneers overcame
The passage highlights the challenges faced by each individual mentioned (Marian Anderson’s racial barriers, Sandra Day O'Connor’s gender discrimination, Robert Goddard’s skepticism from others, and Georgia O'Keeffe’s struggle to establish herself in a male-dominated art world). Each example illustrates how these pioneers overcame significant obstacles to achieve their groundbreaking accomplishments.
B. by describing the odds that the pioneers overcame
The passage highlights the challenges faced by each individual mentioned (Marian Anderson’s racial barriers, Sandra Day O'Connor’s gender discrimination, Robert Goddard’s skepticism from others, and Georgia O'Keeffe’s struggle to establish herself in a male-dominated art world). Each example illustrates how these pioneers overcame significant obstacles to achieve their groundbreaking accomplishments.