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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 is the first weekly resident of the motel that Mia meets?

2. Who does Mia share her parents' special tea with in Part I?

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

4. What is Mia's favorite cereal?

5. Who is the first visitor Mia's family gets at the motel?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. How does Mia's class act when Mrs. Douglas introduces China as the topic?

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

6. What kind of trouble does Uncle Ming tell Mia's parents he has gotten into?

7. Why do Mia's parents refuse to let her help them clean at the motel?

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

9. Why does Mia's mother get fired from her job at the Chinese restaurant in Part I?

10. What happens when Mr. Yao makes Jason work at the front desk for a while?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

More than anything else, hearing the immigrants' stories who come to stay at the Calivista Motel makes Mia aware of the vulnerability of many Chinese immigrants in America. Write an essay exploring the different ways in which the immigrants detail their experiences of exploitation, citing specific references to the text to help support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

How and why does Mia begin to build close friendships with some of the "weeklies," like Hank Caleb, at the Calivista? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help explain your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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