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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. Who told Lupe originally about her analogy she lets Mia in on for the rich and poor in Chapter 18?

2. What kind of trouble is Mia's family's first visitor at the motel in?

3. What does Mr. Yao tell Mia about his perception of good employees?

4. Where did Li sometimes eat his burger that shocks Mia?

5. Who is the principal of Mia's new elementary school?

Short Essay Questions

1. What ideas does Mia have to make the motel safer for her and her parents?

2. What does Hank Caleb tell Mia about Mr. Yao when she first meets Hank?

3. What is Mia's mother's tradition of "taking a picture" at happy or significant moments?

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

5. What do Mia's parents only use on special occasions, either for joy or distress, from China?

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

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

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

9. What does Mr. Yao tell Mia is the difference between a good employee and a bad employee?

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

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

Mia and her family demonstrate their kindness and generosity constantly throughout the novel, despite the fact that they have very little themselves to share. Write an essay exploring the manifestations of the Tang family's generosity, citing specific references to the text to help support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

What does it mean to Mia to find out that her good friend Lupe, also the child of recent immigrants to America, also struggles with some of the same challenges that Mia and her family encounter? Write an essay explaining your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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