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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 oldest of Bui's sisters?

2. In the preface of The Best We Could Do, Bui states that the "seeds of this book were planted" in what year?

3. Bui states in the Preface that she helped to open what sort of high school?

4. Thi witnesses which person get spat on as he is called a racial slur?

5. What sort of merchant had poisoned the waters near Bo's boyhood home?

Short Essay Questions

1. For what purpose does Bui begin Chapter 2: "Rewind, Reverse" in a particular place and then change to a different era on the very next page?

2. How does the doctor respond to Thi's question about her child's birth?

3. Describe Thi's expression in the panel depicting her reaction to Bo's dangerous behavior.

4. What are the qualities of Thi's memories about her childhood home in San Diego?

5. What event causes a very young Bo to mentally disown his father?

6. How does Bui incorporate foreshadowing in her creation of The Best We Could Do?

7. What is one element of Ma's parenting that Bui depicts as being different for each one of her children?

8. In what time and place does the opening scene of The Best We Could Do begin?

9. What sort of tone does Bui use to describe Bo's parenting style?

10. What major change do Thi and Travis undertake in 2006 and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Determine Bui’s message within the memoir The Best We Could Do regarding the idea that some chasms that exist between family members will never be wholly filled.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the reasons why Bui uses the first person point-of-view for her own narrative voice, as well as using first person to allow her parents to essentially tell their own stories. What elements of the work’s themes lend themselves to this choice and what are Bui’s intended effects on the reader?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the instances of irony within the narrative of The Best We Could Do and analyze Bui’s purpose for including each instance you discuss.

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