From the Book of Unknown Americans

1      Which statement best describes the narrator’s internal conflict in the story?

• The narrator experiences pressure by his family to feel more Panamanian and by his peers for not being American enough.

• The narrator cannot understand why his family appears proud to become American citizens at the courthouse, yet they want to feel more Panamanian.

• The narrator experiences feeling more American than Panamanian, yet his father gets angry when accused of being an American.

• The narrator cannot remember anything about living in Panamá like his brother who enjoys talking about his memories.

2      Which excerpt from the selection best represents its main theme?

• I was less than a year old when my parents brought my brother and me to the United States. (paragraph 1)

• I spent a lot of time trying to find it in me, but usually I couldn’t. I felt more American than anything, but even that was up for debate. . . . (paragraph 3)

• I let her, too, even though every time she did, instead of comforting me, it only made me more scared. (paragraph 24)

• That year around the holidays we were all miserable. Holidays were always bad. . . . (paragraph 26)

3      Which sentence from paragraph 4 suggests that the family will not return to Panamá?

• They needed to believe they’d done the right thing and that it made sense.

• But while they waited for that day, they started making friends.

• Enrique was in school, and I started, too.

• And before they knew it, we had a life here.

4      Label the events in the order in which they happen in the story. The first event will be
labeled 1, and the last event will be labeled 4.

• The family members become American citizens.

• The narrator explains the story of when his family left Panamá.

• The narrator’s father takes them to the beach to remember Panamá.

• The narrator’s father finds out how his high school classmates feel about him
     leaving Panamá.

5      Read these sentences from paragraph 12.

“They think we’re Americans now. And maybe we are! Maybe we don’t belong there anymore after all.”

What causes the father to make this statement?

• The father regrets leaving Panamá with his family because he now knows that his classmates are angry that he left their country and got a job.

• The class president accuses the father of thinking he is better than everyone who stayed in Panamá because the father left and became an American citizen.

• The class president suggests that American citizenship has no value.

• The father respects the class president and wants to return to Panamá.

6      Look at the dictionary entry below.

froth \frôth\ n 1. a fit of anger or vexation 2. something unsubstantial or trivial 3. salivary foam released as a result of disease or exhaustion 4. high prices unwarranted by economic fundamentals

Which definition most closely matches the way the word froth is used in paragraph 22?

• Definition 1

• Definition 2

• Definition 3

• Definition 4

7      Choose the phrase in the underlined section of the sentence below that uses an ellipsis in
the correct place.

We always meant to go back to Panamá but the . . . years just passed us by.

• to Panamá but the years . . .

• to Panamá . . . but the years

• to . . . Panamá but the years

• correct as is

8      How does paragraph 10 advance the plot?

• It foreshadows the terrorist attack of September 11.

•         It demonstrates how hard life is for people in Panamá.

• It emphasizes the tension between the old and new cultures.

•         It introduces the conflict between the narrator’s mother and father.

10    What lesson does the narrator learn when his family goes to the beach?

• Enrique is shallow because he is only concerned about his sneakers.

• His mother likes living in America even though she misses her old home.

• American beaches are more beautiful than beaches in Panamá.

• His parents have moved on from thinking of Panamá as their home.

How do the characters’ thoughts about and reactions to the setting relate to the themes
of the selection?