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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. In Chapter 19, what does June say about Jack Wong?

2. In Chapter 11 when Mei Ling returns to the barracks, what is Siew doing with Bo?

3. In Chapter 18, from what pier does the family travel to San Francisco?

4. In Chapter 14, when does Mei Ling receive a letter from her family?

5. What month is it in Chapter 17?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Mei Ling suggest that they move closer to Kai Li's job at the produce market, and what is his response?

2. Why does Kai Li bring home a box in Chapter 17?

3. What is Kai Li's story in Chapter 20?

4. In Chapter 11, how does Mei Ling make plans for Siew's future?

5. In Chapter 12, what does Mei Ling dream her home in San Francisco will be like?

6. What does Kai Li explain to Mei Ling in Chapter 14?

7. At the end of Chapter 13, why does Mei Ling want to take a walk outside by herself?

8. What does Mei Ling learn when she goes to the store that has been buying her embroidery?

9. In Chapter 14, when does Mei Ling receive a letter from her family, and what news does she learn?

10. In Chapter 12, what does Mei Ling tell Siew before she leaves?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mei Ling has three children. In what different ways does Mei Ling become a mother to her three children? Do the varying circumstances that made her a mother to her children affect how she feels about them? What does the author reveal about motherhood through Mei Ling?

Essay Topic 2

Mei Ling and Kai Li are strangers when they are married. How would you describe the relationship between Mei Ling and Kai Li when they marry and before they settle into San Francisco? How does their relationship change? How do they learn to love one another?

Essay Topic 3

Backstories are used to present information about things that happened before events in the novel. How do backstories provide insight into characters and events? What is the importance of backstories in the novel?

(see the answer keys)

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