View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Vietnam, what was the payment for scrubbing laundry?

2. Who teaches Ha English after her family moves to the cowboy's house?

3. Where does Ha sit and scream after she is chased home by boys yelling "Boo-Da" (207)?

4. Where did Mrs. Washington's son die?

5. What color hair does Miss Scott have?

Short Essay Questions

1. What type of furniture is the house furnished with that the cowboy rents for Ha and her family, and why does it bother Ha?

2. What is it like when Ha registers for school?

3. Why is it difficult for Ha to translate the sentence, "Jane sees Spot run"?

4. What conversation do Ha and Mrs. Washington have about Mrs. Washington's son?

5. What is lunch like for Ha on her first day of school?

6. How do the neighbors treat Ha and her family?

7. How does Vu keep busy?

8. Af first, what photos does Miss Scott show in class of Vietnam, and what photos does Ha think her teacher should show?

9. What happens when Mr. Johnston takes Ha and her family to meet the neighbors?

10. Why does Ha end up screaming under the willow in her yard after school one day?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

After an American ship rescues Ha, her family, and the others on the ship, they are taken to a refugee camp. What are their experiences in the refugee camp, and why is their situation there only temporary?

Essay Topic 2

In Inside Out & Back Again, some characters are more thoroughly described than others. Who are some characters that are merely named in passing or have a minor role in the novel? What is the importance of these flat characters to the storyline? In what way do these characters make the main characters more colorful or interesting? When there is conflict, what type of role do these flat characters play?

Essay Topic 3

Some of the experiences in the author’s life mirror what Ha and her family experienced in Inside Out & Back Again. How and why did Lai fictionalize some of the experiences she and her family endured when they fled from Vietnam and settled in the United States?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,007 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample