I believe the correct answer from the choices listed above is the first option. A collective subject is a noun (functioning as the subject) that describes a group made of many parts. Examples are brood of chickens, drove of cattle, gaggle of geese, nest of bees, swarm of hornets and herd of buffalo.
No, it is not because he needed to eat.
The main purpose is to:
highlight for readers the hardships that Eileen Collins overcame
Explanation:
"Eileen Collins – NASA's First Female Shuttle Commander to Lead Next Shuttle Mission" is a text that bases itself not on the facts of the mission or the the journey of the protagonist once she becomes the shuttle commander.
The story instead focuses on how she overcame bias and odds to become what she has become.
It is a story of her struggles and trials and tribulations that have brought her this far in life.