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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. Mah finds another job at __________ when Leon goes off to sea in Australia, and she's so good she's promoted by the time he returns.

2. What is the word that Luday keeps repeating to Mah which helps her to feel calmer?

3. Mah admits her ___________ and says that she wants to be a family again with Leon.

4. What does Leila decide to do when Mason goes off to work after they party?

5. Mah wants to put Ona's ________________ on Confucius' altar to commemorate her.

Short Essay Questions

1. When Mason and Leila come to fetch Leon, what do they find he has done in his apartment?

2. What does Mah do when Nina decides to bring the urn with Ona's ashes to Baby Clothes?

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

4. Why did Mah and Leon get married in the first place, according to the both of them?

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

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

7. Who does Leon blame for the death of Ona and for his overall discontent with life in this chapter?

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

9. What is the argument between Leon and Mah regarding the ashes of Ona after her death?

10. Ona decides to jump from the 13th floor of the building, which confuses Leila. What is the meaning of the number 13?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

As with any story and the reading of any story, one must ask whether they can trust the narrator to tell them the truth and to help them understand the characters.

Part 1: Why is Leila the best choice to be the narrator of this story?

Part 2: Do you think the readers can trust Leila to tell the story fairly and in an unbiased way?

Part 3: How might the story have changed if it was told from the viewpoint of Mah?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

The idea of becoming more American is one that continues throughout this story - sometimes looked at in a positive way, sometimes in a negative way.

Part 1: Why do you think that characters often want to become more Americanized?

Part 2: Why are some more modernized characters chastised for becoming less Chinese in their actions and behaviors?

Part 3: Do you think it's a positive thing for the American culture and its ideals to become so pervasive? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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