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. Waverly's mother wanted Vincent's chess set _________________________.

2. As national chess champion, Waverly is touted as __________________________.

3. The woman intends to learn in America how to __________________________________.

4. The pregnant servant girl became convinced that she ____________________________.

5. The only father An-Mei knows is ___________________.

Short Essay Questions

1. Discuss how it is that the Italian girl next door provides a sense of peace for Lena.

2. What triggers Ying-Ying's early memory of her traumatic fall from the family boat?

3. Discuss why Lindo's clever scheme works on her mother-in-law.

4. Discuss Ying-Ying's mental state and some of its origins.

5. The woman wishes for a daughter just like herself, but there are some caveats. Discuss the things she does not want for her daughter.

6. Waverly's unusual talent becomes a reason to pamper and spoil her. Does she appreciate this treatment? How does it affect her?

7. What might Ying Ying have been planning to ask the Moon Lady for if she had not become lost?

8. Does the little girl fall from the bicycle because her mother is right, or because she is afraid her mother is right, or is it just a chance circumstance?

9. An-Mei has an interesting way of storing her Bible. Discuss where the Bible is kept, and why.

10. Why might it be that Jing-Mei continues to be a failure?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Suyuan Woo made the decision to leave her two small babies at the side of the road out of pure desperation, hoping that someone would find them and care for them, since she could not. She spent her adult life trying to find her lost daughters. Write a persuasive essay about the pros and cons of adoption and take a position. Don't forget to comment on laws that prevent or allow biological parents and children to contact one another.

Essay Topic 2

In The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan weaves together a series of events from the past and present, as well as a series of characters whose lives have intersected. To help you understand the story more fully, write an essay divided into four parts, describing each mother, and each daughter, their past circumstances, their current situations, and their relationships.

Essay Topic 3

The Moon Festival is a very important Chinese holiday. Research this holiday and write an essay on what it means, how it is celebrated, the food, the rituals, the time of year and all the implications of the Moon Festival. Finally, determine whether Americans celebrate anything similar. If so, compare and contrast the two.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 939 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample