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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 response does Kingston's oldest brother get from the Filipino and other island natives when he says he is a Chinese American?

2. From whom do MaMa and Father have to keep their savings a secret?

3. Why was Ch'u Yuan banished from the Center and from the Royal Court?

4. What amount of pay is given to the Chinese workers in Hawaii for working in the cane fields?

5. How does the game officer that first spots the Wild Man in the Green Swamp know that what he sees is not a bear?

Short Essay Questions

1. Analyze Kingston's narrative about Uncle Kau Goong and his elderly wife. Explain why Great Aunt goes to Hong Kong and then back to China. Describe Uncle Kau's response to Great Aunt's pleas to be together again. Students might suggest the importance of Kau's final words on the subject: "We belong here (America)!"

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

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

4. 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?

5. 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.

6. Explain why members of the freighter's crew try to send their shipmate to China and describe the Wild Man's response at the airport.

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

8. 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.

9. What does Lo Bun Sun's constant work and preparation suggest about his character?

10. How does the Wild Man end up in a Tampa Hospital for the insane? Tell what happens once he is there.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Tell about the evolution of Kingston's Chinese family from one that practices solely Chinese customs to one practicing Americanized customs. For example, how many generations pass before Kingston's family evolves from adhering to arranged marriages to its first self-selected marriage. Discuss the reluctance of Kingston's Mother to let go of her Chinese traditions or superstitions. Describe the condition of the Chinese American in California with family still living in China.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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