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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. From what location does Matthews call Garfield to tell him bad news?
(a) The hospital.
(b) The college dean's office.
(c) The library.
(d) The immigration office.

2. Who comes to see the dean when Yo turns down the academic award?
(a) Yo's mother.
(b) Yo's cousin.
(c) Yo's father.
(d) Yo's brother.

3. To what city does Matthews move?
(a) San Francisco.
(b) Alameda.
(c) Los Angeles.
(d) San Diego.

4. For what reason does Sarita not know the identity of her biological father?
(a) No one knows her father's identity.
(b) He had died prior to her birth.
(c) She refuses to allow her mother to disclose his name.
(d) Her mother refuses to disclose his name.

5. In what type of setting does Sarita live with a family member in the Dominican Republic while her mother works for the Garcias?
(a) On the beach.
(b) In a village.
(c) In the slums.
(d) In the country.

Short Answer Questions

1. What bad news does Matthews deliver to Garfield over the phone?

2. What object is part of the process discussed in the chapter called "The Mother," which the narrator says she had called "putting on the bear" (24)?

3. About what subject had Yo continually written in her journal as a teen, according to the narrator of the chapter entitled "The Cousin"?

4. The narrator of the chapter entitled "The Mother" says that everyone had told her that "the hardest thing coming to this country" (21) would be what?

5. The narrator of the chapter entitled "The Mother" says that she has never gotten along with which of her daughters?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way does the narrator of the Prologue deceive one of her sisters within the narrative?

2. For what two reasons does Yo go to Miami?

3. What is the symbolism of the powder Sarita's mother uses in an effort to get to New York City?

4. Describe the relationship between Yo and Garfield.

5. Describe the nature of the culture shock Sarita experiences upon arriving in New York.

6. Discuss an example of magical realism Alvarez includes within the narrative.

7. What event occurs in the Garcia household that causes Mami to start taking Valium and sleeping pills?

8. What is the significance of the phrase "You are the one who knows" (125) throughout the text?

9. With which of her four daughters does Mami not get along?

10. Who includes a special note for Sarita on the back of a photograph she sends to the Dominican Republic?

(see the answer keys)

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