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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. Leon wants to talk about _________ and about how much he loves her after the suicide.

2. When the recess bell rings and Leila can have a few moments to herself, where does she go?

3. Where does Leila find Leon in order to tell him to meet Mason at 4:00 pm?

4. What does Mason assign Nina to do in order to prevent a fight between the two sisters from getting too heated?

5. Who comes to the house, bringing comfort food and giving advice to the grieving family members?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does Mah say about the affair she had and whether she wants to get back together with Leon?

3. What is the advice that Soon-ping, a sewing lady, gives to Mah after the death of Ona?

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

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

6. What is the only thing Nina asks Leila to do in order to handle Mah's trip to Hong Kong?

7. Why does Leon want to tell everyone about the death of Ona in Chinatown?

8. Why does Leon want to have a fancy Chinese wake for Ona after her suicide, though Nina suggests a simple cremation?

9. To what does Leila compare the feeling of time rushing forward and then snapping still?

10. Why don't the sewing women play music when they are working in the sweatshop together?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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 3

The language barrier in the story is one of the significant roadblocks to some of the characters being able to participate in some processes of their life.

Part 1: Why do you think certain characters don't make more of an effort to learn English?

Part 2: Do you think it's fair to expect those from another culture to adapt to their new home's language? Why or why not?

Part 3: In what ways does the lack of language skill cause certain characters to suffer? How does knowing English help some characters thrive?

(see the answer keys)

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