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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. Examine the following sentence from the narrative: “I kept thinking my fingers would adjust themselves back, like a train switching to the right track.” What literary device is used in this example?

2. What does Jing-Mei wear in her hair at the talent show?

3. What does Auntie Lindo’s daughter say matter-of-factly to Jing-Mei after her performance at the talent show?

4. At what time does Jing-Mei’s mother insist that Jing-Mei begin her piano practice following the talent show fiasco?

5. Jing-Mei says that her mother offered to give her the piano for her birthday when she turned how old?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the most significant element of the communication and culture gaps between Jing-Mei and her mother in the story?

2. What arrangement is made between Suyuan Woo and Mr. Chong in regards to Jing-Mei’s piano study and practice?

3. How did critics receive The Joy Luck Club and “Two Kinds” upon publication?

4. How and when did the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act influence immigration in the U.S.?

5. 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?

6. How does the conflict that marks the climax of the story begin? How much time has passed since Jing-Mei’s performance at the talent show?

7. How does the central conflict of the story begin to manifest in Jing-Mei’s mind following her revelation in the mirror?

8. What does Jing-Mei say to her mother to hurt her during their conflict in the climax of the story? How does Suyuan respond?

9. When does Jing-Mei’s mother first introduce to her the concept of a child prodigy?

10. How are the pressures of immigrant families depicted through the character of Suyuan Woo in “Two Kinds”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the conflict between Jing-Mei and Suyuan Woo regarding Jing-Mei’s piano lessons in the narrative. How does Jing-Mei respond to her mother’s news that she has arranged for lessons? Why does Suyuan slap Jing-Mei? How does Jing-Mei respond?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the genre and tone of the story. Define these terms in your response and discuss how “Two Kinds” could be categorized into different genres. How does the author establish the tone of the story in the first pages?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and discuss the character of Lindo Jong in “Two Kinds.” How well do Jing-Mei and her mother know Lindo? What kind of relationship does Suyuan Woo have with this friend? How do the Woos feel about the Jong family?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 906 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample