A
Bessie Coleman
Born in Texas, Coleman moved to Chicago to find a job, but she became interested in the stories she heard from pilots returning from World War Ⅰ.However, her race (种族) and her gender (性别) kept her out of flight schools in the U．S., so she made her way to France where she could learn flying.When she returned to Chicago, Coleman had difficulty finding jobs, so she chose to be a stunt (特技) pilot.She was the first black female pilot in the U．S.and was an inspiration to early pilots and to African Americans and Native Americans.
Bessica Raiche
Bessica Raiche drove a car, shot guns and practiced medicine.Besides, she was an accomplished artist and musician.But on Oct.13, 1910, Raiche became the first American woman to make a flight in an aircraft by herself.Raiche's aviation career (航空职业) was short, as she moved to Southern California to focus on her career in medicine, later becoming president of the Orange County Medical Association.
Willa Brown
Willa Brown was the first African American woman to earn both a pilot's license (1938) and a commercial license (1939)．As a former schoolteacher and social worker, Brown set up the Coffey School of Aeronautics at Chicago's Harlem Airport, which later became the first governmentapproved aviation training school for African Americans.
Peggy Whitson
At 57, Peggy Whitson was the world's oldest spacewoman.She has spent 500 days off Earth—more than any other woman, and in 2008, she became the first female commander of the International Space Station (ISS)．She made her eighth space walk on March 30, 2017 and she beat the current record for women of 50 hours and 40 minutes of total spacewalking time.
【解题导语】 本文是一篇应用文。介绍了四位女性飞行员。
21．Why did Bessie Coleman move to France?
A．To acquire stunt skills.
B．To find a wellpaid job.
C．To take part in World War Ⅰ.
D．To achieve her flying dream.
解析：选D 细节理解题。由第一段的“her race (种族) and her gender (性别) kept her out of flight schools in the U．S., so she made her way to France where she could learn flying”可知，Bessie Coleman到法国是想实现自己成为飞行员的梦想。
22．Who made a contribution to aviation education?
A．Bessie Coleman. B．Bessica Raiche.
C．Willa Brown. D．Peggy Whitson.
解析：选C 细节理解题。由第三段的最后一句可知，Willa Brown创办了第一所政府支持的非裔美国人飞行训练学校。
23．What can we know about Peggy Whitson?
A．She enjoyed her journey in space.
B．She set some surprising records.
C．She devoted herself to building the ISS.
D．She set other black women an example.
解析：选B 推理判断题。由最后一段可知，宇航员Peggy Whitson创造了几项世界纪录。
24．Which of the following do the four share?
A．They are outstanding women pilots.
B．They suffered discrimination at work.
C．They never received good education.
D．They have shown great creativity.
解析：选A 推理判断题。由第一段的最后一句、第二段的“Raiche became the first American woman to make a flight in an aircraft by herself”以及第三段和第四段的内容可推知，这四位都是杰出的女飞行员。
