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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. How does Father acknowledge that he recognizes the children?

2. In "The Ghostmate, what imagery does Kingston use when the main character arrives at the house?

3. Who is Tu Tzu-chun's examiner?

4. What were the Chinese wives most likely afraid of when their husbands left for Gold Mountain?

5. Which of the following is an example of a simile used in "The Ghostmate"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Compare and contrast the tales that Kingston makes up about how her father gets to America.

2. How does Kingston employ humor in "On Mortality Again"?

3. Provide examples from "The Ghostmate" of vivid imagery that reveals the man's mood as he heads back to his childhood home. Is the young man happy or sad?

4. Explain the irony of Maui the Trickster' s demise in "On Mortality Again."

5. Explain the progression of laws that at first limited Chinese family members from entering the U.S. to the laws that allowed them entry whether the quota had been met or not.

6. Why would Tang beg to have the bandages replaced tightly after having the them removed from his feet?

7. Describe grandmother's attitude toward grandfather, Ah Goong, citing examples from the chapter "The Grandfather of the Sierra Nevada Mountains."

8. Describe how Kingston feels about her father from China. Use details from the text to support your conclusions.

9. Explain how the author of "The Ghostmate" cues the reader that the main character represents any China Man in their youth.

10. Compare and contrast the genre used for "On Discovery" and for "On Fathers."

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Note instances in China Men when Kingston relates events about her Father having nightmares. Identify the family's situation at the time Father is having nightmares. Consider the reasons MaMa gives for Father awakening screaming in the middle of the night. How are the children affected by Father's nightmares? What do the children think is the cause of their Father's bad dreams? What is your opinion about the cause and effects of Father's nightmares?

Essay Topic 2

Identify the Four Most Valuable Things according to Chinese tradition. Tell why the Chinese valued these things. Cite examples from China Men that illustrate why these items are called the Four Most Valuable Things. Think about four valuable things in modern society. What things would you list as most valuable? How are they similar to and different from the Chinese traditional Four Most Valuable Things?

Essay Topic 3

Write a book review of Maxine Hong Kingston's novel China Men. Briefly summarize the plot line in the story, and then describe Kingston's approach to the subject as an author. Finally, tell whether you would recommend this book to someone else. Explain your recommendation to your reader.

(see the answer keys)

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