Question
I was six when my mother taught me the art of invisible strength. It was a strategy for winning arguments, respect from others, and eventually, though neither of us knew it at the time, chess games.
2 “Bite back your tongue,” scolded my mother when I cried loudly, yanking her hand toward the store that sold bags of salted plums. At home, she said, “Wise guy, he not go against wind. In Chinese we say, Come from South, blow with wind — poom! — North will follow. Strongest wind cannot be seen.”
3 The next week I bit back my tongue as we entered the store with the forbidden candies. When my mother finished her shopping, she quietly plucked a small bag of plums from the rack and put it on the counter with the rest of the items.
4 My mother imparted her daily truths so she could help my older brothers and me rise above our circumstances. We lived in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Like most of the other Chinese children who played in the back alleys of restaurants and curio shops, I didn’t think we were poor. My bowl was always full, three five-course meals every day, beginning with a soup of mysterious things I didn’t want to know the names of.
5 We lived on Waverly Place, in a warm, clean, two-bedroom flat that sat above a small Chinese bakery specializing in steamed pastries and dim sum. In the early morning, when the alley was still quiet, I could smell fragrant red beans as they were cooked down to a pasty sweetness. By daybreak, our flat was heavy with the odor of fried sesame balls and sweet curried chicken crescents. From my bed, I would listen as my father got ready for work, then locked the door behind him, one-two-three clicks.
6 At the end of our two-block alley was a small sandlot playground with swings and slides well-shined down the middle with use. The play area was bordered by wood-slat benches where old-country people sat cracking roasted watermelon seeds with their golden teeth and scattering the husks to an impatient gathering of gurgling pigeons. The best playground, however, was the dark alley itself. It was crammed with daily mysteries and adventures. My brothers and I would peer into the medicinal herb shop, watching old Li dole out onto a stiff sheet of white paper the right amount of insect shells, saffron-colored seeds, and pungent leaves for his ailing customers. It was said that he once cured a woman dying of an ancestral curse that had eluded the best of American doctors. Next to the pharmacy was a printer who specialized in gold-embossed wedding invitations and festive red banners.
7 Farther down the street was Ping Yuen Fish Market. The front window displayed a tank crowded with doomed fish and turtles struggling to gain footing on the slimy green-tiled sides. A handwritten sign informed tourists, “Within this store, is all for food, not for pet.” Inside, the butchers with their bloodstained white smocks deftly gutted the fish while customers cried out their orders and shouted, “Give me your freshest,” to which the butchers always protested, “All are freshest.” On less crowded market days, we would inspect the crates of live frogs and crabs which we were warned not to poke, boxes of dried cuttlefish, and row upon row of iced prawns, squid, and slippery fish. The sanddabs made me shiver each time; their eyes lay on one flattened side and reminded me of my mother’s story of a careless girl who ran into a crowded street and was crushed by a cab. “Was smash flat,” reported my mother.
8 At the corner of the alley was Hong Sing’s, a four-table cafe with a recessed stairwell in front that led to a door marked “Tradesmen.” My brothers and I believed the bad people emerged from this door at night. Tourists never went to Hong Sing’s, since the menu was printed only in Chinese. A Caucasian man with a big camera once posed me and my playmates in front of the restaurant. He had us move to the side of the picture window so the photo would capture the roasted duck with its head dangling from a juice-covered rope. After he took the picture, I told him he should go into Hong Sing’s and eat dinner. When he smiled and asked me what they served, I shouted, “Guts and duck’s feet and octopus gizzards!” Then I ran off with my friends, shrieking with laughter as we scampered across the alley and hid in the entryway grotto of the China Gem Company, my heart pounding with hope that he would chase us.
How does the author's use of language in paragraph 7 emphasize a theme?
A.By using detailed descriptions of the fish market, the author highlights the cultural richness of Chinatown.
B.By describing the market's lively atmosphere, the author underscores the vibrancy and resilience of the community.
C.By mentioning the handwritten sign, the author emphasizes the challenges faced by non-English-speaking immigrants.
D.By focusing on the sensory details of the market, the author conveys the importance of tradition in the narrator's life.
2.
Based on the structure and details in paragraphs 1 and 2, what can the reader predict about the narrator's relationship with her mother?
A.The narrator and her mother will continue to have frequent conflicts.
B.The narrator will use her mother's lessons to succeed in unexpected ways.
C.The narrator will rebel against her mother's teachings.
D.The narrator will distance herself from her mother's influence.
3a.
How does the characterization of the mother contribute to the theme of the story?
A.Her strictness highlights the theme of cultural conflict.
B.Her wisdom emphasizes the theme of inner strength.
C.Her detachment underscores the theme of isolation.
D.Her generosity highlights the theme of community support.
3b.
Which quote from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
A.“Bite back your tongue,” scolded my mother when I cried loudly.
B.At home, she said, “Wise guy, he not go against wind.”
C.The next week I bit back my tongue as we entered the store with the forbidden candies.
D.My mother imparted her daily truths so she could help my older brothers and me rise above our circumstances.
4.
Which details from paragraphs 3 and 4 best support the key idea that the narrator’s family values resourcefulness and resilience?
Select TWO correct answers.
A.My mother finished her shopping, she quietly plucked a small bag of plums from the rack.
B.We lived in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
C.My bowl was always full, three five-course meals every day.
D.We lived on Waverly Place, in a warm, clean, two-bedroom flat.
E.Like most of the other Chinese children who played in the back alleys of restaurants and curio shops, I didn’t think we were poor.
5.
How does the author’s use of descriptive language in paragraphs 5 and 6 contribute to the overall purpose of the text?
A.It provides a stark contrast to the narrator’s internal struggles.
B.It emphasizes the cultural and sensory richness of the narrator’s environment.
C.It highlights the chaotic and disorganized nature of Chinatown.
D.It serves to foreshadow the narrator’s eventual success in chess.
6.
How does the author’s use of text structure in paragraph 8 contribute to the author's purpose?
A.By introducing a new setting, the author shifts the focus away from the narrator's home life.
B.By describing interactions with tourists, the author highlights the blending of cultures in Chinatown.
C.By detailing the children's playful behavior, the author emphasizes the carefree nature of childhood.
D.By mentioning the Caucasian man with a camera, the author illustrates the curiosity and misunderstandings of outsiders.
7.
The word from paragraph 7 that means “skillful” or “clever” is (Select)
(Select)
protested
displayed
deftly
flattened
.
2 “Bite back your tongue,” scolded my mother when I cried loudly, yanking her hand toward the store that sold bags of salted plums. At home, she said, “Wise guy, he not go against wind. In Chinese we say, Come from South, blow with wind — poom! — North will follow. Strongest wind cannot be seen.”
3 The next week I bit back my tongue as we entered the store with the forbidden candies. When my mother finished her shopping, she quietly plucked a small bag of plums from the rack and put it on the counter with the rest of the items.
4 My mother imparted her daily truths so she could help my older brothers and me rise above our circumstances. We lived in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Like most of the other Chinese children who played in the back alleys of restaurants and curio shops, I didn’t think we were poor. My bowl was always full, three five-course meals every day, beginning with a soup of mysterious things I didn’t want to know the names of.
5 We lived on Waverly Place, in a warm, clean, two-bedroom flat that sat above a small Chinese bakery specializing in steamed pastries and dim sum. In the early morning, when the alley was still quiet, I could smell fragrant red beans as they were cooked down to a pasty sweetness. By daybreak, our flat was heavy with the odor of fried sesame balls and sweet curried chicken crescents. From my bed, I would listen as my father got ready for work, then locked the door behind him, one-two-three clicks.
6 At the end of our two-block alley was a small sandlot playground with swings and slides well-shined down the middle with use. The play area was bordered by wood-slat benches where old-country people sat cracking roasted watermelon seeds with their golden teeth and scattering the husks to an impatient gathering of gurgling pigeons. The best playground, however, was the dark alley itself. It was crammed with daily mysteries and adventures. My brothers and I would peer into the medicinal herb shop, watching old Li dole out onto a stiff sheet of white paper the right amount of insect shells, saffron-colored seeds, and pungent leaves for his ailing customers. It was said that he once cured a woman dying of an ancestral curse that had eluded the best of American doctors. Next to the pharmacy was a printer who specialized in gold-embossed wedding invitations and festive red banners.
7 Farther down the street was Ping Yuen Fish Market. The front window displayed a tank crowded with doomed fish and turtles struggling to gain footing on the slimy green-tiled sides. A handwritten sign informed tourists, “Within this store, is all for food, not for pet.” Inside, the butchers with their bloodstained white smocks deftly gutted the fish while customers cried out their orders and shouted, “Give me your freshest,” to which the butchers always protested, “All are freshest.” On less crowded market days, we would inspect the crates of live frogs and crabs which we were warned not to poke, boxes of dried cuttlefish, and row upon row of iced prawns, squid, and slippery fish. The sanddabs made me shiver each time; their eyes lay on one flattened side and reminded me of my mother’s story of a careless girl who ran into a crowded street and was crushed by a cab. “Was smash flat,” reported my mother.
8 At the corner of the alley was Hong Sing’s, a four-table cafe with a recessed stairwell in front that led to a door marked “Tradesmen.” My brothers and I believed the bad people emerged from this door at night. Tourists never went to Hong Sing’s, since the menu was printed only in Chinese. A Caucasian man with a big camera once posed me and my playmates in front of the restaurant. He had us move to the side of the picture window so the photo would capture the roasted duck with its head dangling from a juice-covered rope. After he took the picture, I told him he should go into Hong Sing’s and eat dinner. When he smiled and asked me what they served, I shouted, “Guts and duck’s feet and octopus gizzards!” Then I ran off with my friends, shrieking with laughter as we scampered across the alley and hid in the entryway grotto of the China Gem Company, my heart pounding with hope that he would chase us.
How does the author's use of language in paragraph 7 emphasize a theme?
A.By using detailed descriptions of the fish market, the author highlights the cultural richness of Chinatown.
B.By describing the market's lively atmosphere, the author underscores the vibrancy and resilience of the community.
C.By mentioning the handwritten sign, the author emphasizes the challenges faced by non-English-speaking immigrants.
D.By focusing on the sensory details of the market, the author conveys the importance of tradition in the narrator's life.
2.
Based on the structure and details in paragraphs 1 and 2, what can the reader predict about the narrator's relationship with her mother?
A.The narrator and her mother will continue to have frequent conflicts.
B.The narrator will use her mother's lessons to succeed in unexpected ways.
C.The narrator will rebel against her mother's teachings.
D.The narrator will distance herself from her mother's influence.
3a.
How does the characterization of the mother contribute to the theme of the story?
A.Her strictness highlights the theme of cultural conflict.
B.Her wisdom emphasizes the theme of inner strength.
C.Her detachment underscores the theme of isolation.
D.Her generosity highlights the theme of community support.
3b.
Which quote from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
A.“Bite back your tongue,” scolded my mother when I cried loudly.
B.At home, she said, “Wise guy, he not go against wind.”
C.The next week I bit back my tongue as we entered the store with the forbidden candies.
D.My mother imparted her daily truths so she could help my older brothers and me rise above our circumstances.
4.
Which details from paragraphs 3 and 4 best support the key idea that the narrator’s family values resourcefulness and resilience?
Select TWO correct answers.
A.My mother finished her shopping, she quietly plucked a small bag of plums from the rack.
B.We lived in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
C.My bowl was always full, three five-course meals every day.
D.We lived on Waverly Place, in a warm, clean, two-bedroom flat.
E.Like most of the other Chinese children who played in the back alleys of restaurants and curio shops, I didn’t think we were poor.
5.
How does the author’s use of descriptive language in paragraphs 5 and 6 contribute to the overall purpose of the text?
A.It provides a stark contrast to the narrator’s internal struggles.
B.It emphasizes the cultural and sensory richness of the narrator’s environment.
C.It highlights the chaotic and disorganized nature of Chinatown.
D.It serves to foreshadow the narrator’s eventual success in chess.
6.
How does the author’s use of text structure in paragraph 8 contribute to the author's purpose?
A.By introducing a new setting, the author shifts the focus away from the narrator's home life.
B.By describing interactions with tourists, the author highlights the blending of cultures in Chinatown.
C.By detailing the children's playful behavior, the author emphasizes the carefree nature of childhood.
D.By mentioning the Caucasian man with a camera, the author illustrates the curiosity and misunderstandings of outsiders.
7.
The word from paragraph 7 that means “skillful” or “clever” is (Select)
(Select)
protested
displayed
deftly
flattened
.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
1. How does the author's use of language in paragraph 7 emphasize a theme?
**B. By describing the market's lively atmosphere, the author underscores the vibrancy and resilience of the community.**
2. Based on the structure and details in paragraphs 1 and 2, what can the reader predict about the narrator's relationship with her mother?
**B. The narrator will use her mother's lessons to succeed in unexpected ways.**
3a. How does the characterization of the mother contribute to the theme of the story?
**B. Her wisdom emphasizes the theme of inner strength.**
3b. Which quote from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
**D. My mother imparted her daily truths so she could help my older brothers and me rise above our circumstances.**
4. Which details from paragraphs 3 and 4 best support the key idea that the narrator’s family values resourcefulness and resilience?
**C. My bowl was always full, three five-course meals every day.**
**E. Like most of the other Chinese children who played in the back alleys of restaurants and curio shops, I didn’t think we were poor.**
5. How does the author’s use of descriptive language in paragraphs 5 and 6 contribute to the overall purpose of the text?
**B. It emphasizes the cultural and sensory richness of the narrator’s environment.**
6. How does the author’s use of text structure in paragraph 8 contribute to the author's purpose?
**B. By describing interactions with tourists, the author highlights the blending of cultures in Chinatown.**
7. The word from paragraph 7 that means “skillful” or “clever” is:
**deftly.**
**B. By describing the market's lively atmosphere, the author underscores the vibrancy and resilience of the community.**
2. Based on the structure and details in paragraphs 1 and 2, what can the reader predict about the narrator's relationship with her mother?
**B. The narrator will use her mother's lessons to succeed in unexpected ways.**
3a. How does the characterization of the mother contribute to the theme of the story?
**B. Her wisdom emphasizes the theme of inner strength.**
3b. Which quote from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
**D. My mother imparted her daily truths so she could help my older brothers and me rise above our circumstances.**
4. Which details from paragraphs 3 and 4 best support the key idea that the narrator’s family values resourcefulness and resilience?
**C. My bowl was always full, three five-course meals every day.**
**E. Like most of the other Chinese children who played in the back alleys of restaurants and curio shops, I didn’t think we were poor.**
5. How does the author’s use of descriptive language in paragraphs 5 and 6 contribute to the overall purpose of the text?
**B. It emphasizes the cultural and sensory richness of the narrator’s environment.**
6. How does the author’s use of text structure in paragraph 8 contribute to the author's purpose?
**B. By describing interactions with tourists, the author highlights the blending of cultures in Chinatown.**
7. The word from paragraph 7 that means “skillful” or “clever” is:
**deftly.**