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

2. Leila is bothered when she hears from _____________ that Leon fell asleep during a chess game.

3. The cop at the scene of the suicide writes down the address for _____________ for Leila.

4. Leila knows that Mah wants a __________ and has suitors, including her boss of the moment.

5. Leon admits that he misses Mah's __________ and that he does not like his life without her in it.

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

5. Why did Leila have to translate between Leon and a Woolworth's manager when Ona was eight or nine?

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

7. What have the women done by the time the S.S. Independent docks at the shore?

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

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

10. After Mah finds a new job at Ching's, Leon goes away to a trip on the sea to Australia. What happens to Mah's job when he is away?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

The affair that Mah had seems to be one of the most difficult times of their relationship, even the book notes that summer was the worst.

Part 1: Why do you think that Mah decided to have an affair?

Part 2: Do you think that Mah and Leon should have stayed together after the affair was revealed? Why or why not?

Part 3: Why do you think that Mah wants to be a family again after the affair?

(see the answer keys)

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