Question

instructions
read the question carefully and select the best answer.
which of the following inferences is best supported by the passage below (paragraph 9)?
on october 14, 1947, pilot chuck yeager flew over the mojave desert in an naca - developed experimental research plane called the bell x - 1. and he pierced the sound barrier for the first time in history! the plane caused a loud noise—a sonic boom, just like the shockwave from the bullet and the bullwhip—but the pilot and the plane were safe. the female computers on the ground verified the data transmitted from the instruments attached to the x - 1 on its record - breaking flight.
a. chuck yeager was proud of the place he earned in history.
b. computers were talked about as if they were female, like hurricanes and ships.
c. female engineers were key to the scientific advancement marked by this historic event.
d. the mojave desert was the ideal place to conduct such a huge experiment.

Explanation:

• Option A: The passage does not mention Chuck Yeager's feelings about his place in history, so this is unsupported.
• Option B: The text refers to "female computers" (ground staff who verified data), not electronic computers, so this is incorrect.
• Option C: The passage states the female ground staff verified critical flight data, which was essential for confirming the success of this historic scientific milestone, so this is supported.
• Option D: The passage does not discuss why the Mojave Desert was chosen, so this is unsupported.

Answer:

C. Female engineers were key to the scientific advancement marked by this historic event.