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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. Born and raised in Chinatown, ___________ is sometimes proud of this heritage and sometimes not.

2. Who comes to the house, bringing comfort food and giving advice to the grieving family members?

3. Nina complains that ____________ is not doing her share of the work at the laundry business.

4. Leila cannot keep up with Mah as Mah knows ____________ as a doctor knows bones.

5. Ten-year-old ___________ does the most in order to get Leon to come back home to be a family.

Short Essay Questions

1. What have the women done by the time the S.S. Independent docks at the shore?

2. What does ten-year-old Ona do in order to get Leon to come back home after hearing about the affair?

3. What are some of the things Leila does that makes Mason feel bothered, according to this chapter?

4. What does Leila recall about a bathroom stall where she goes after hearing the news about the suicide of Ona?

5. Why did Mah and Leon get married in the first place, according to the both of them?

6. Who does Leon blame for the death of Ona and for his overall discontent with life in this chapter?

7. Ona decides to jump from the 13th floor of the building, which confuses Leila. What is the meaning of the number 13?

8. What are the Confucian virtues, according to the start of this chapter?

9. To what does Leila compare the feeling of time rushing forward and then snapping still?

10. After Mah finds a new job at Ching's, Leon goes away to a trip on the sea to Australia. What happens to Mah's job when he is away?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The language barrier in the story is one of the significant roadblocks to some of the characters being able to participate in some processes of their life.

Part 1: Why do you think certain characters don't make more of an effort to learn English?

Part 2: Do you think it's fair to expect those from another culture to adapt to their new home's language? Why or why not?

Part 3: In what ways does the lack of language skill cause certain characters to suffer? How does knowing English help some characters thrive?

Essay Topic 2

The responsibility on Leila's shoulders to take care of her family must be enormous. Often, she is put in the middle and made to make decisions that might not make everyone happy.

Part 1: Do you think it's fair for a child to take on the responsibilities of their parents? Why or why not?

Part 2: Why do you think children are often looked to for leadership as parents age?

Part 3: Do Leon and Mah seem to be willing to help themselves? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

The guilt surrounding Ona's death seems to be ripping the family apart within this story.

Part 1: Why do you think that Leon feels guilty about the death of Ona? Should he?

Part 2: Why do you think that Leila feels guilty about Ona's death? Should she?

Part 3: Do you think there is any reason for the family to feel guilty about Ona's death? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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