Choose the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions.
Nellie Bly’s real name was Elizabeth Cochran Seaman, and she was an American journalist and writer, known for her great contributions to investigative journalism and advocacy for women’s rights. She was also famous for completing the fastest trip around the world.
Born in 1864, Nellie Bly started her career in 1885. She was once rejected from jobs just because she was a female journalist. However, Bly didn’t give up. Finally, she got a job in the New York World by pretending to be suffering from serious mental issues to enter a mental asylum for investigation. Her series of articles exposed the harsh conditions and the mistreatment of patients. Her work helped create significant improvements in mental health care.
Inspired by Jules Verne’s famous novel Around the World in Eighty Days, in 1889, Bly was determined to travel around the world. Many people thought it was impossible for a woman to do it, but she finally beat the fictional record of 80 days and accomplished her feat in just 72 days, which set a new world record.
Throughout her career, Bly tackled various social issues, including the different kinds of hardship faced by female factory workers and their daily struggles. She utilized her writing as a platform to fight for women’s rights.
Nellie Bly’s contributions revolutionized investigative journalism and left an enduring impact on the field. Her fearless determination and commitment to exposing the truth continue to inspire future generations of reporters. Bly’s work not only brought attention to the mistreatment of the mentally ill and led to reform but also proved the power of storytelling to cause crucial social change.