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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. How many refunds did Mia have to give on her first day working at the front desk?

2. What happens when Mia lets in a slightly disheveled-looking man to the motel in Chapter 12?

3. What is the name of Mia's new elementary school?

4. Where did Mia eat a burger that she will never forget in Chapter 1?

5. What is one thing Mia wants to ask Mr. Yao to install to make the front desk safer?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the school principal's reaction to find out Mia speaks English when she meets Mia for the first time?

2. What does the security guard from the Topaz Inn propose to Mia?

3. What happens that causes a great stir at the motel in Chapter 21?

4. In Chapter 9, what event provides an unexpected moment of joy for Mia and her family?

5. In Chapter 16, why does Mia tell her mother she does not want her favorite cereal at the store?

6. Who helps Mia when she mistakenly buzzes a drunk person into the motel, and what does the person helping her do?

7. Why was the memory of the chocolate-scented notebook such a painful one for Mia?

8. What act of kindness and generosity does Mia do for Uncle Li in Chapter 16?

9. Why does Mia begin to feel sympathy for Jason Yao in Chapter 8?

10. What does Mia's mother tell her when Mia asks her why they came to America in the first place?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why do you think Mia reacts the way she does when Jason Yao tells her he likes her in a romantic way? How does Mia's reaction to Jason's overtures affect her life at the Calivista Motel afterwards? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

How does hearing from their friends and former co-workers who are also Chinese immigrants in America during their brief stays at the Calivista affect Mia's and her parents' understanding about their own potential prospects and opportunities in the U.S.? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

Why does Mia's mother tell her she is a bicycle and the American-born students in her class are cars when Mia expresses an interest in the subject of English over math? How does Mia feel hearing her mother's words? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

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