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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. What instrument do both Sasha and Albert play?

2. Who is the neighbor Young-ja keeps running into?

3. What does Albert seem to be considering at the end of the story but has not yet fully decided on yet?

4. Who is Happy's mother?

5. Where are the final rounds of the competition Albert spends years preparing for?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does So-hyun dislike her cousin Susie so much?

2. How does the community find out about Mo-sae's illness?

3. What does So-hyun immediately dislike about the way her aunt and uncle in America treat her mother?

4. What extremes does Albert go through to prepare for the Van Cliburn competition?

5. In "Skinship," where do So-hyun and her family stay at first in America?

6. What disappoints Albert about how his life has turned out?

7. In the story "Skinship," why does So-hyun's family leave Korea?

8. How does So-hyun's aunt work to get her mother and father back together?

9. How do Albert's classmates remember him?

10. What does Albert think is the greatness of the Moonlight Sonata?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In both stories "The Church of Abundant Life" and "First Language," what can the reader discern about the frustrations and struggles of the protagonists as they relate to the cultural expectations both are operating under? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

Choi switches between the first and third-person perspectives in this novel. Choose two stories from the collection that are written from different perspectives and write an essay comparing and contrasting the reader's experiences and understanding of the characters in each one.

Essay Topic 3

Why do you think Choi chooses to focus many of the stories in this collection on different aspects of the immigrant experience in America? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 610 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample