Abuela Invents the Zero

What does the word 'compromise' mean?

• Relating to or showing characteristics of old age, especially with regard to loss of memory.

• Something that is required and must be done.

• A punishment given for a particular offense.

• The settlement of an argument or disagreement in which each side agrees to give up some part of its claims or demands.

Draw what you imagine Constancia's abuela looked like.

What does the word 'senile' mean?

• A punishment given for a particular offense.

• Relating to or showing characteristics of old age, especially with regard to loss of memorty.

• Something that is required and must be done.

• A device used to look around or above an obstacle.

What language does Abuela speak?

• Spanish

• Portugese

• French

• Creole

What is Abuela's problem at church?

• She gets lost coming back from Bible Study.

• She gets lost coming from communion.

• She argues with the pastor.

• She asks Connie to translate the service.

Draw how Connie felt in the moment of embarrassment.

Which of the following passages most strongly shows Abuela’s lack of familiarity with New Jersey?

• “Right up to the time when we’re supposed to pick up the old lady at the airport, my mother is telling me stories about how hard times were for la familia on la isla, and how la abuela worked night and day to support them after their father died of a heart attack.”

• “It is January, two feet of snow on the ground, and she’s wearing a shawl over a thick black dress.”

• “It’s like she had a spot picked out for some unknown reason, and although it’s the most inconvenient seat in the house, that’s where she has to sit.”

• “She is praying loud, in Spanish, and singing hymns at the top of her creaky voice.”

Which is most strongly a similarity between the narrator and Abuela?

• Both the narrator and Abuela wear clothes that make them appear small in stature.

• Both the narrator and Abuela enjoy telling jokes to the family to make them laugh.

• Both the narrator and Abuela cover their faces with their hands when embarrassed.

• Both the narrator and Abuela walk with small steps to get to the church on Sunday.

Which passage best identifies the source of the narrator’s guilt at the end of the story?

• “Once home, she refuses to let my mother buy her a coat because it’s a waste of money for the two weeks she’ll be in el Polo Norte, as she calls New Jersey, the North Pole.”

• “I do have a responsibility to Sandra and Anita, who don’t drive yet.”

• “When we get to the apartment, my parents are at the kitchen table, where my mother is trying to eat some soup.”

• "Your grandmother says to tell you that of all the hurtful things you can do to a person, the worst is to make them feel as if they are worth nothing.”

Which of the following best describes how the narrator’s mother feels at the conclusion of the story?

• The mother is upset by the way her daughter has treated Abuela.

• The mother is hopeful that her daughter will get to know Abuela better.

• The mother is confused by the story her daughter tells her about Abuela.

• The mother is grateful to show her daughter photographs of Abuela as a child.