On Christmas Eve I saw that my mother had outdone herself in creating a strange menu. She was pulling black veins out of the backs of fleshy prawns. The kitchen was littered with appalling mounds of raw food: A slimy rock cod with bulging fish eyes that pleaded not to be thrown into a pan of hot oil. Tofu, which looked like stacked wedges of rubbery white sponges. A bowl soaking dried fungus back to life. A plate of squid, their backs crisscrossed with knife markings so they resembled bicycle tires.

Question

—“Fish Cheeks,”
Amy Tan
Which details are precise words that have a strong feeling or connotation? Select all that apply.
saw
strange
littered
rubbery
fungus
crisscrossed

Answer 1

The details that are precise words with strong feelings or connotations are:

• strange
• littered
• rubbery
• fungus
• crisscrossed

These words carry specific imagery or emotional weight that enhances the description. "Saw" is a neutral verb and does not have a particularly strong connotation in this context.