Unit Test: Belonging
Which sentence from "Broken Chain" best expresses a theme related to wanting more than one has?
"Alfonso didn't want to be the handsomest kid at school, but he was determined to be better looking than average."
Read the excerpt from "Fish Cheeks." 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. What is the effect of the imagery in this passage?
It makes the food seem like something that should not be eaten.
Which statement expresses a theme that is found in both "Escape" and "To Live"?
There are many layers to a person's identity.
The noise outside was distracting. Similarly, I put in ear plugs. Which word would be the best revision for the word similarly in order to connect these two sentences?
Therefore
Which statement expresses a theme that is found in both "Escape" and "To Live"?
The search for self awareness is often a difficult one.
Read the excerpt from "Fish Cheeks." Then my father poked his chopsticks just below the fish eye and plucked out the soft meat. "Amy, your favorite," he said, offering me the tender fish cheek. I wanted to disappear. In the last sentence of this excerpt, Amy Tan's words reveal that she is
embarrassed because she wants Robert to think she views the food as strange, and her father is revealing her true feelings about it.
In "Broken Chain," Alfonso tries to straighten his crooked teeth. Which verb from the passage is the most vivid for describing his efforts? push
herd
Read the sentence from "Fish Cheeks." For Christmas I prayed for this blond-haired boy, Robert, and a slim new American nose. Which sense does the description appeal to?
sight
Read the sentence from "Fish Cheeks." At the end of the meal, my father leaned back and belched loudly, thanking my mother for her fine cooking. Which senses does the description appeal to?
sight and hearing
Which adjective is the most precise for describing a character in "Broken Chain"?
sullen
Which sentence is capitalized correctly?
"Coach wants me to organize the team dinner," said Derrick.
Which excerpt from "Broken Chain" states the most cause-and-effect relationships?
"He cursed himself for being stupid, yelled at his bike for being cheap, and slammed the chain onto the cement. The chain snapped in another place and hit him when it popped up, slicing his hand like a snake's fang."
Which sentence from "Broken Chain" best expresses a theme related to working towards a goal?
"Last week he did fifty sit-ups a day, thinking that he would burn those already apparent ripples on his stomach to even deeper ripples, dark ones, so when he went swimming at the canal next summer, girls in cut-offs would notice."
Read the excerpt from "Broken Chain." "Ponytails! Those girls who messed with Frostie and me had ponytails. Is she cool?" "I think so." Ernie sat up in bed. "I bet you that's her." Alfonso felt his stomach knot up. "She's going to be my girlfriend, not yours!" "I'm going to get even with her!" "You better not touch her," Alfonso snarled, throwing a wadded Kleenex at him. "I'll run you over with my bike." Which message does Gary Soto want readers to take away?
A chance at love is important
Which excerpt from "Fish Cheeks" uses figurative language?
A plate of squid, their backs crisscrossed with knife markings so they resembled bicycle tires.
In "Broken Chain," what happens as a result of Ernie's denying Alfonso the use of his bike?
Alfonso feels shame.
Read the excerpt from "Broken Chain." Alfonso had pretended not to hear his father and had gone to his room, where he studied his hair from all angles in the mirror. He liked what he saw until he smiled and realized for the first time that his teeth were crooked, like a pile of wrecked cars. He grew depressed and turned away from the mirror. He sat on his bed and leafed through the rock magazine until he came to the rock star with the butched top. His mouth was closed, but Alfonso was sure his teeth weren't crooked. Which statement best describes the conflict in this passage?
Alfonso is in conflict with himself.
Read the excerpt from "Broken Chain." Between history and math, Alfonso saw Sandra and her girlfriend huddling at their lockers. He hurried by without being seen. During lunch Alfonso hid in metal shop so he wouldn't run into Sandra. What would he say to her? If he weren't mad at his brother, he could ask Ernie what girls and guys talk about. Which statement best describes the conflict in this passage?
Alfonso's lack of confidence around girls shows an internal conflict.
Which is a theme in "Broken Chain"?
Appearance is different from reality.
Which cause-and-effect relationship in "Broken Chain" relates to the theme "By helping others, we help ourselves"?
Because Ernie lends Alfonso his bike, Alfonso offers to do the dishes for Ernie.
Which cause-and-effect relationship in "Broken Chain" relates to the theme "Even when you have problems with your family, in the end you can count on them"?
Cause: Ernie lends Alfonso his bike. Effect: Alfonso can go on his first date with Sandra.
Which sentence from "Fish Cheeks" is meant to entertain readers?
For Christmas I prayed for this blond-haired boy, Robert, and a slim new American nose.
A student is writing a paragraph about "Broken Chain" that makes the point that Alfonso cares a lot about his bicycle. What would be the best illustration of this point?
He polishes his bike until it gleams "like a handful of dimes."
Read the excerpt from "Fish Cheeks." Dinner threw me deeper into despair. My relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks and reached across the table, dipping them into the dozen or so plates of food. Robert and their family waited patiently for platters to be passed to them. What message does Amy Tan's description send?
Her relatives are coarse, and Robert's family is reserved.
Which excerpt from "Broken Chain" could be used to support the idea that Gary Soto uses imagery in his writing?
His [Alfonso's] thumbs were tired and wrinkled and pink, the way they got when he stayed in the bathtub too long.
Which excerpt from "Broken Chain" could be used to support the idea that Alfonso's mother is careful with money?
His mother clipped coupons from magazines and newspapers, kept a vegetable garden in the summer, and shopped at Penney's and K-Mart.
Which of the statements uses a transition most effectively?
I did my homework. Subsequently, I watched television.
Which excerpt from "Escape" adds to the theme that the speaker can see herself differently than others see her?
I look inside me and I don't see it I don't see the power The confidence you say I have
What theme is found in both "Escape" and "To Live"?
It can be difficult to figure out who you really are.
Read the excerpts from "Escape" and "To Live." I wait anxiously Feeling my stomach A block of ice Chipping away, melting, Then freezing up again * * * trial and error minus lab write-up feeling without a thesis learning youth What theme is expressed in both of these excerpts?
It can be very difficult to know yourself and your place in the world.
Read the excerpt from "Escape." But I don't know if it's all there Waiting for the opportunity to jump into you And try to help you Fix you Ask you Why? Because I don't know What effect does the repetition of the word "you" have in this part of the poem?
It creates a tone of frustration.
What is the significance of the phrase "I don't see" at the beginning of the poem "Escape"?
It emphasizes how much the speaker struggles to know herself.
Read the excerpt from "Fish Cheeks." After everyone had gone, my mother said to me, "You want to be the same as American girls on the outside." She handed me an early gift. It was a miniskirt in beige tweed. "But inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud you are different. Your only shame is to have shame." Which statement best describes the purpose and effect of this excerpt?
It entertains readers by revealing Tan's feelings about being different and causes them to wonder if her perspective will change.
Read the excerpt from "Broken Chain." Alfonso retrieved the chain, which was hopelessly broken. He cursed himself for being stupid, yelled at his bike for being cheap, and slammed the chain onto the cement. The chain snapped in another place and hit him when it popped up, slicing his hand like a snake's fang. What is the purpose of the imagery in this passage?
It helps readers feel how frustrating the situation is for Alfonso.
Read the excerpt from "Fish Cheeks." At the end of the meal, my father leaned back and belched loudly, thanking my mother for her fine cooking. "It's a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied," explained my father to our astonished guests. Robert was looking at his plate with a reddened face. The minister managed to muster up a quiet burp. Which statement best describes the purpose and effect of this excerpt?
It teaches readers about an interesting Chinese custom and causes them to determine that the minister is trying to be polite.
Which sentence contains a correctly punctuated nonrestrictive modifier?
Jake, who is twenty-seven, is studying to be a yoga teacher.
Which sentence contains a correctly punctuated nonrestrictive modifier?
Jaye, who has three dogs, just adopted a puppy from the shelter.
Read the excerpts from "Escape" and "To Live" I must take this test just like everyone Takes tests I am closing in on the sky Hoping it will try to escape * * * learning without knowing without room to learn how to know myself to be myself What theme is expressed in both these excerpts?
Knowing yourself and your place in the world is a challenge.
Read the sentence. Ming and her sister who is home from college for spring break organized a bake sale to benefit the victims of the fire. Which version of the sentence has correctly placed commas?
Ming and her sister, who is home from college for spring break, organized a bake sale to benefit the victims of the fire.
Which excerpt from "Fish Cheeks" most appeals to a reader's sense of sight?
My relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks and reached across the table, dipping them into the dozen or so plates of food.
Read the excerpt from "On Women's Right to Vote," an 1873 speech by Susan B. Anthony. Our democratic-republican government is based on the idea of the natural right of every individual member thereof to a voice and a vote in making and executing the laws. Which quotation correctly uses ellipsis to shorten Anthony's words?
NOT Our democratic-republican government is based on the idea of . . . a voice and a vote in making and executing the laws. PROBABLY Our democratic-republican government . . . of the natural right of every individual member thereof to a voice and a vote in making and executing . . . .
Which detail from "Fish Cheeks" would best illustrate a paragraph about imagery?
NOT Tan's comment that her mother had "outdone herself in creating a strange menu" PROBABLY Tan's mention of the "clamor of doorbells and rumpled Christmas packages"
Read the excerpts from "To Live." I sit in my crunched-in restraining desk, they call it. with my paper and my pen *** and my mind on my text and my pen on the page *** I see through the paper and my pen writes Why does the speaker most likely repeat the references to her pen and paper?
NOT to show what is most important to her in life PROBABLY to emphasize how much she struggles with writing
Read the sentence from "Fish Cheeks." What terrible disappointment would he feel upon seeing not a roasted turkey and sweet potatoes, but Chinese food? The description in this sentence
NOT uses figurative language to describe the disappointment Robert may feel OR contains a simile comparing roasted turkey and sweet potatoes to Chinese food. PROBABLY IS uses precise language to describe what Robert would see and feel.
Read the sentence. Noah who draws comic books in his free time wants to write a graphic novel. Which version of the sentence has correctly placed commas?
Noah, who draws comic books in his free time, wants to write a graphic novel.
Read the excerpt from "Broken Chain." "Come on, man, let me use it," Alfonso pleaded. "Please, Ernie, I'll do anything." Although Ernie could see Alfonso's desperation, he had plans with his friend Raymundo. They were going to catch frogs at the Mayfair canal. He felt sorry for his brother and gave him a stick of gum to make him feel better, but there was nothing he could do. The canal was three miles away, and the frogs were waiting. Which message does Gary Soto want readers to take away?
People place their own needs above those of others.
Which detail from "Fish Cheeks" would best illustrate the point that Tan is unhappy with her appearance?
She wishes that she had a "slim new American nose."
What is an effect of Alfonso's untangling Frankie from the fence in "Broken Chain"?
Sandra's feeling grateful
Which statement best expresses one theme of "To Live"?
The business of everyday life can make it difficult to discover who you really are.
Read the sentence from "Broken Chain." But Alfonso knew Raul, a paperboy with dollar signs in his eyes, would charge him, and he had less than sixty cents, counting the soda bottles he could cash. What is the connotation of the underlined description, and what does it say about Raul?
The description is negative. It means that Raul cares too much about money.
How do the speaker's references to schoolwork in "To Live" help build the theme that life can get in the way of figuring out who you really are?
They show how the speaker is distracted by all of life's particular details.
Read the excerpt from "Escape." I look inside me and I don't see it I don't see the power The confidence you say I have You say I can do anything That I'm sure of myself and my intentions And I wonder But I don't know How do these lines support the theme that the speaker can see herself differently than others see her?
They show that the speaker is unsure of who she is, even though others seem certain.
Which sentence from "Fish Cheeks" is meant to teach readers what Amy Tan's family is like?
What would he think of our noisy Chinese relatives who lacked proper American manners?
Which sentence is written correctly?
Zev exclaimed when he opened the door, "Welcome to my home."
Read the sentence from "Broken Chain." His father had come home that evening from a softball game, happy that his team had drilled four homers in a thirteen-to-five bashing of Color Tile. Which type of descriptive language is used in the sentence?
a vivid verb describing what the father's team did
Read the excerpt from "To Live." beyond desk chairs And dull muraled halls j.v., varsity and setting the curve school play and G.P.A. textbooks learning without knowing These lines help convey the message that
everyday life can get in the way of self discovery.
Read the sentence from "Fish Cheeks." A plate of squid, their backs crisscrossed with knife markings so they resembled bicycle tires. Amy Tan compares squid to bicycle tires to show that the squid
have a grooved surface.
Based on the speakers' words and emotions in the poems "Escape" and "To Live," the theme that there are many parts to a person's identity is expressed
in both poems.
Read the excerpt from "Escape." I must take this test just like everyone Takes tests I am closing in on the sky Hoping it will try to escape The author uses the word "test" in this excerpt to convey the message that
it is very difficult to find your place and purpose in life.
What phrase does the speaker of "To Live" repeat in order to show that she is thinking about what lies ahead in her life?
mi futuro
Read the excerpt from "Broken Chain." Alfonso said over and over that she was too nice to pull a stunt like that. But Ernie argued that she lived only two blocks from where those girls had told them to wait, that she was in the same grade, and, the clincher, that she had ponytails. Secretly, however, Ernie was jealous that his brother, two years younger than himself, might have found a girlfriend. A theme in this excerpt is expressed by
presenting a conflict between characters.
Read the sentences from "Fish Cheeks." After everyone had gone, my mother said to me, "You want to be the same as American girls on the outside." Her mother's word choice reveals that Amy Tan thinks American girls are
pretty.
Fill in the blank. The rider tugged on the _______ of her horse to make him slow down.
reins
To interpret the theme in a story, a reader should study
repeating ideas
Read the excerpt from "Broken Chain." Alfonso took the stick of gum, placed it in his shirt pocket, and left the bedroom with his head down. He went outside, slamming the screen door behind him, and sat in the alley behind his house. A sparrow landed in the weeds, and when it tried to come close, Alfonso screamed for it to scram. The sparrow responded with a squeaky chirp and flew away. Which detail from the passage could be used as an example in a paragraph about imagery?
responded with a squeaky chirp
Read the excerpt from "Broken Chain." The chain snapped in another place and hit him when it popped up, slicing his hand like a snake's fang. The descriptive language shows that the chain is
sharp.
In "Fish Cheeks," what does Amy Tan describe in order to create a contrast between cultures?
the behavior of her relatives
What causes Alfonso and Ernie to argue in "Broken Chain"?
the idea that Alfonso's new girlfriend might be the same girl who stood Ernie up
Fill in the blanks in order. Janelle and Marcus and _______ group went to the library to prepare for the presentation, but the specific book they needed wasn't _______.
their, there
Read the excerpt from "Broken Chain." Alfonso studied the magazine pictures of rock stars for a hairstyle. He liked the way Prince looked—and the bass player from Los Lobos. Alfonso thought he would look cool with his hair razored into a V in the back and streaked purple. But he knew his mother wouldn't go for it. And his father, who was puro Mexicano, would sit in his chair after work, sullen as a toad, and call him "sissy." Soto most likely includes a characterization of both Alfonso and his father in this passage to show that
they are often at odds with each other.
If Amy Tan, the author of "Fish Cheeks," wrote a text titled "Foods for Chinese Holiday Entertaining," what would her purpose most likely be?
to describe the Chinese dishes commonly served at holiday meals
Read the excerpt from "Fish Cheeks." My relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks and reached across the table, dipping them into the dozen or so plates of food. Robert and their family waited patiently for platters to be passed to them. My relatives murmured with pleasure when my mother brought out the whole steamed fish. Robert grimaced. Why does Tan describe her family eating at the same time she describes the reaction of Robert and his family?
to help the reader feel Tan's embarrassment
Read the excerpt from "Broken Chain." Alfonso sat on the porch trying to push his crooked teeth to where he thought they belonged. He hated the way he looked. Last week he did fifty sit-ups a day, thinking that he would burn those already apparent ripples on his stomach to even deeper ripples. Why does the author focus so much on Alfonso's appearance?
to introduce the theme of wanting more
If Amy Tan, the author of "Fish Cheeks," wrote a text titled "My First Taste of Fish Cheek," what would her purpose most likely be?`
to share a memory about eating fish cheeks
Read the excerpts from the poem "Escape." And I wonder But I don't know If it's all there *** Ask you Why? Because I don't know *** Like everybody seems to know more And I still don't know how Why does the speaker most likely repeat the phrase "I don't know"?
to show how unsure she is of herself and her place in the world
Read the sentence from "Fish Cheeks." She was pulling black veins out of the backs of fleshy prawns. The description in this sentence
uses precise language to describe what Tan saw.
Read the sentence from "Fish Cheeks." Robert grunted hello, and I pretended he was not worthy of existence. Amy Tan uses this description to show that she
wants to hide her true feelings about Robert.
Read the sentence. Marlena, who enjoys many different subjects, likes history and geography the best. Which part of the sentence is the nonrestrictive modifier?
who enjoys many different subjects
