Texas History Test Technology & Digital Applications 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which early Texas telegraph line, completed in 1854, first connected the state to national communication networks?
- The Southern Telegraph Company line from New Orleans to San Antonio
- The Western Union line from St. Louis to El Paso
- The Texas & Red River Telegraph line from Marshall to Houston (Correct answer)
- The Galveston-Austin Telegraph line
Correct answer: The Texas & Red River Telegraph line from Marshall to Houston
The Texas & Red River Telegraph Company completed a line connecting Marshall and Houston in 1854, linking Texas to the national telegraph network.
Question 2: How did the development of air conditioning technology most significantly impact Texas in the 20th century?
- It allowed cotton crops to be stored longer
- It spurred rapid population growth and urban development in hot climates (Correct answer)
- It replaced ceiling fans in state government buildings
- It lowered oil drilling costs in West Texas
Correct answer: It spurred rapid population growth and urban development in hot climates
Air conditioning made Texas's hot summers bearable for year-round living, enabling massive population growth in cities like Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.
Question 3: NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston served as Mission Control for which landmark space mission?
- Apollo 11 Moon landing (Correct answer)
- The first Space Shuttle flight
- The Mars Rover Curiosity landing
- Sputnik satellite launch
Correct answer: Apollo 11 Moon landing
NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston served as Mission Control for Apollo 11, the 1969 mission that landed astronauts on the Moon.
Question 4: What technology did Texas ranchers first adopt in the 1870s that revolutionized the cattle industry and the Texas frontier?
- Electric fencing
- Barbed wire (Correct answer)
- Radio communication
- Steam-powered branding irons
Correct answer: Barbed wire
Barbed wire, widely adopted by Texas ranchers in the 1870s, allowed the fencing of vast open ranges, transforming land management and ending the open-range cattle drives.
Question 5: Texas schools use the TRS-Care digital system for what purpose?
- Online student enrollment processing
- Managing retired teacher health benefits (Correct answer)
- Tracking standardized test scores
- Monitoring school bus routes
Correct answer: Managing retired teacher health benefits
TRS-Care is the Teacher Retirement System of Texas's health care program, managed digitally to administer benefits for retired teachers.
Question 6: Which digital tool does the Texas General Land Office use to help citizens apply for disaster recovery assistance after hurricanes?
- The FEMA Direct Housing app
- The GLO's online portal for disaster recovery programs (Correct answer)
- The Red Cross mobile shelter locator
- The National Hurricane Center dashboard
Correct answer: The GLO's online portal for disaster recovery programs
The Texas General Land Office operates an online portal allowing hurricane-affected Texans to apply for disaster recovery and housing assistance programs.
Question 7: The Texas Legislature began webcasting committee hearings to serve which primary public function?
- Allow legislators to vote from home
- Increase transparency and public access to the lawmaking process (Correct answer)
- Reduce the number of physical witnesses at hearings
- Automate the drafting of legislation
Correct answer: Increase transparency and public access to the lawmaking process
Webcasting legislative hearings allows citizens across Texas to observe the lawmaking process without traveling to Austin, increasing governmental transparency.
Texas History Test Technology & Digital Applications 3
Which early Texas telegraph line, completed in 1854, first connected the state to national communication networks?