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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. Nina calls the parenting style of Leon and Mah to be parenting _______________.

2. Always watching for business opportunities, Leon talks ___________ into running L.L. Grocery.

3. Seeing ____________ reminds Leon of every defeat he has ever suffered, so he yells at Ona every night.

4. Old timers believe that __________ comes from the mother and bones from the father.

5. Mason tells Leila to let ___________ go, but Leila is afraid he will stir up trouble.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does ten-year-old Ona do in order to get Leon to come back home after hearing about the affair?

2. What has Leila prepared for the afternoon art class in the classroom where she is teaching?

3. What do the sewing ladies do for Mah and the rest of the family after the death of Ona?

4. Why do the women at the factory work night and day, pushing themselves to sew?

5. Why does Mah believe that Lyman will make good on his promise and send for her?

6. What are some of the things Leila does that makes Mason feel bothered, according to this chapter?

7. What does Leila recall about a bathroom stall where she goes after hearing the news about the suicide of Ona?

8. What does a teacher's aide tell Leila about Leon after he walks out on Mah during a discussion about Ona's ashes?

9. Things have changed after the affair. What are Leon and Mah like after the affair with Tommie Hom?

10. What does Mah want to do in order to prepare herself for the homecoming of Leon?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The idea of the bones being the reason for the bad luck in the novel is one that seems silly to some readers. But is it?

Part 1: Do you believe in the idea of luck and of bad luck? Why or why not?

Part 2: Why do you think the bones are so important to the luck of the family?

Part 3: Why do you think that the bones were not handled in the way they were supposed to be handled?

Essay Topic 2

While the characters are struggling to find their own identities, it seems that many secrets are being held which are only making it more difficult to keep the family together.

Part 1: Why do you think Leila finds it so difficult to tell others about her elopement?

Part 2: Why do you think the characters in this story feel they need to keep secrets from each other?

Part 3: How is the Chinese culture supporting the keeping of secrets within families and from the outside world?

Essay Topic 3

The strained relationship between Leon and Mah was not always that way. It seems to have slowly disintegrated along with the family structure and the family luck in this story.

Part 1: Why do you think that Leon and Mah got married in the first place?

Part 2: How do you think Leon and Mah have to change in order to be happy again?

Part 3: Do you think that Leon and Mah have any chance of being happy with each other again? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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