Read the introduction of a student's report about another famous aviator, Alberto Santos-Dumont, below.
Alberto Santos-Dumont, an aviator from Brazil, spent most of his adult life in Paris, studying aeronautics and experimenting with various types of aircraft. Much of his time was spent testing flight with balloons and steering. In 1901, after various public testing attempts, he circled the Eiffel Tower in a dirigible and landed safely. For this feat, he won the Deutsch Prize.
After his success with lightweight craft, Santos-Dumont began testing heavier aircraft. In 1906, he made three public flight tests and was increasingly able to maintain flight at higher altitudes, speeds, and distances. In November, 1906, he flew the 14-BIS for 220 meters at an altitude of 6 meters and a speed of 37,358 km. He was awarded the Archedon Prize for this accomplishment. Not only had he achieved flight with a heavy aircraft, but he had also proved that the aircraft could take off on its own by means of an on-board undercarriage.
This student plans to challenge the claim that the Wright brothers were the first to fly, paving the way for modern-day flight. Instead, he/she believes that Alberto Santos-Dumont deserves this credit.
Based upon the information in "The Wright Brothers: Reaching for the Sky" and the student's introduction about Santos-Dumont, what choice would best support the student's claim?
a. the catapulting of the Wright brothers' plane from the ground
b. the Wright brothers' various experiments with kites and gliders
c. Santos-Dumont's various tests with balloons and dirigibles
d. Santos-Dumont's winning of the Deutsch Prize and Archedon Prize