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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. To what does Kingston refer with the metaphor "the living night"?

2. What does Kingston realize about men at Great Uncle Kau's funeral?

3. What food product is Uncle Bun obsessed with when the reader first meets him?

4. What kind of business does Father buy?

5. For whom do the Juneau citizens hold the largest funeral Alaska ever sees?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the author suggest that instead of the Driving Out in Alaska taking place twice that it could be the same story but with the dates mixed up?

2. Compare the Alaskan Driving Out with the California Driving Out of China Men.

3. What is the significance of the last line in "The Hundred-Year-Old Man"?

4. Create a dictionary using words from the chapter, "The Li Sao: An Elegy." Choose words that readers will need to have knowledge of in order to understand the story. Create a display using words that fit the theme of the folktale, such as phoenix, mourned, epic, elegy, lament, sorrow, estrangement, incorruptible, entwined, requiem, warmongers, etc.

5. Describe the relationship between Father and the owner of the Gambling House.

6. Retell the Filipino scholar's story about the Chinese first coming to the Philippines in search of gold. Be sure to include only the information that the scholar provides. Don't be distracted by the party-goers' interruptions.

7. Describe the experience of the AJA's (Americans of Japanese Ancestry) during World War II, using only details from Kingston's retelling of her memories and the stories she heard as a child.

8. What does Kingston mean at the end of "Alaska China Men" when she writes, ". . . perhaps any China Man was China Joe"?

9. Explain the irony of the mandarins requesting more ships in the story the Filipino scholar tells in "On Listening."

10. Compare and contrast grandfather Ah Goong's experiences during the Driving Out with those that took place in Alaska according to Kingston's narrative.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Identify the Four Most Valuable Things according to Chinese tradition. Tell why the Chinese valued these things. Cite examples from China Men that illustrate why these items are called the Four Most Valuable Things. Think about four valuable things in modern society. What things would you list as most valuable? How are they similar to and different from the Chinese traditional Four Most Valuable Things?

Essay Topic 2

Note instances in China Men when Kingston relates events about her Father having nightmares. Identify the family's situation at the time Father is having nightmares. Consider the reasons MaMa gives for Father awakening screaming in the middle of the night. How are the children affected by Father's nightmares? What do the children think is the cause of their Father's bad dreams? What is your opinion about the cause and effects of Father's nightmares?

Essay Topic 3

Consider the times in China Men when the characters sing. Singing appears in many of the Chinese traditions to which Kingston exposes her readers. Find references throughout the novel, and describe the singing experience of the characters. Then use the examples to draw conclusions about why singing is part of life for so many Chinese. Explain what purpose the singing serves in each example.

(see the answer keys)

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