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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What can Ho Chi Minh mean according to Francine?

2. Who is Mr. Green?

3. What type of fruit did Miss Noi like for the GIs to give her?

4. In Chapter 4, what does a GI buy Miss Noi?

5. How old was Francine when she finally got out of Vietnam?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did it take so long to get Francine and her mother out of Vietnam?

2. What was in the room behind a bead curtain in Chapter 2?

3. How does Mr. Green die in Chapter 2?

4. How does Francine describe the French cemetery in Saigon?

5. Why is it important to make the right sound in the Vietnamese language?

6. Who is the narrator of the story in Chapter 2?

7. How did Miss Noi get to America?

8. What does Mr. Chinh say about cars he has driven in his lifetime?

9. What was at the Ham Nghi market in Chapter 2?

10. Who is Thap?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Chapter 3, Khanh says that he does not believe in omens and symbols. Why does it seem that Khanh might believe in omens and symbols? What does he observe on his trip to the Houston airport? What connection does he see between signs along the way and what he is going or about to do? On the way back home, why is the symbolism more obvious to Khanh? Even though Khanh states that he isn’t a man who believes in symbols and omens, is that a true statement? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

In Chapter 12, the narrator has purchased one of the shoes John Lennon was wearing when he died. Why was this relic important enough for the narrator to spend a lot of money to purchase it? In what way does the narrator think this shoe and its mate will help him find where he belongs?

Essay Topic 3

In Chapter 14, the parasail is a symbol of returning to earth, to reality. In what way have Gabrielle and Vinh lost touch with reality? How has it affected their relationship? How has their vacation opened their eyes to the knowledge that they need to return to earth? How does the parasail symbolize that return.

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