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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. Jing-Mei says in the end of the story of her mother that she had “never found a way to ask her why she had hoped for something so large that” what “was inevitable”?

2. At the end of the story, Jing-Mei says, “After I had the piano tuned, I opened the lid and touched the keys.” How does she say it sounded?

3. Describing her mother’s reaction to her hurtful words, Jing-Mei says, “she backed out of the room, stunned, as if she were blowing away like” what?

4. What does Jing-Mei say she never really did while she practiced for her talent show?

5. What does Jing-Mei’s mother tell her on the phone that she has when offering her the piano for her birthday?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Jing-Mei say her perceptions differed from her mother’s in regard to ambition as she looks back at the end of the story?

2. How does Jing-Mei describe Mr. Chong when she begins piano lessons with him? What does she secretly nickname him?

3. How does Jing-Mei feel about her mother’s ambitions for her at first when she is a child?

4. What discovery does Jing-Mei make regarding the song she played at the talent show in the end of the story?

5. What “transformation” does Jing-Mei undergo while looking into the mirror as a child?

6. Describe the narrative style of the story. Who is the narrator and how is her perspective defined?

7. What do the Schumann songs at the end of the story represent symbolically?

8. What performer fascinates Suyuan Woo while watching the Ed Sullivan Show early in the story? How does Jing-Mei respond?

9. What does Jing-Mei say in defense of the performer on the Ed Sullivan Show when she is criticized by her mother? How does this defense backfire?

10. How does Jing-Mei’s mother look after her performance at the talent show? What does Jing-Mei think as she watches the following performances?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the actions, objectives, and obstacles of Jing-Mei Woo in “Two Kinds.” What is Jing-Mei’s ultimate goal (objective) in the story? How does she go about achieving this objective? What obstacles stand in her way? How does she overcome these obstacles?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the character of Jing-Mei Woo in “Two Kinds.” How old is Jing-Mei when the narrative begins with her mother’s discussion of child prodigies? Does Jing-Mei comment on the action of the story or does she relate it objectively? How does this reveal her character? How does Jing-Mei change in the course of the story?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and discuss the character of Mr. Chong in “Two Kinds.” What was Mr. Chong’s profession prior to his retirement? How old does Jing-Mei perceive Mr. Chong to be? Where does Mr. Chong live? How does Mr. Chong relate to Jing-Mei?

(see the answer keys)

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