E6 Chinese Cinderella

At the time of my birth, Big Sister was six-and-a-half years old. My three brothers were five, four and three. They blamed me for causing Mama's death and never forgave me.

How old was Big Sister when the narrator was born?

• 4 years old
• 7 years old
• 5 years old
• 6.5 years old

A year later, Father remarried. Our stepmother, whom we called Niang, was a seventeen-year-old Eurasian beauty fourteen years his junior. Father always introduced her to his friends as his "French wife" though she was actually half French and half Chinese. Besides Chinese, she spoke French and English. She was almost as tall as Father, stood very straight and dressed only in French clothes - many of which came from Paris. Her thick, wavy, black hair never had a curl out of place. Her large, dark-brown eyes were fringed with long, thick lashes. She wore heavy make-up, expensive French perfume and many diamonds and pearls. It was Grandmother Nai Nai who told us to call her Niang, another Chinese term for "mother".

Why did Father introduce Niang as his "French wife" even though she was only half French?

• To emphasize her European heritage and beauty.
• To make her seem more exotic than she is.
• To confuse his friends about her background.
• To downplay her Chinese heritage.

A year after their wedding, they had a son (Fourth Brother) followed by a daughter (Little Sister). There were now seven of us: five children from Father's first wife and two from our stepmother, Niang. Apart from Father and Niang, we lived with Grandfather Ye Ye, Grandmother Nai Nai and Aunt Baba in a big house in the French Concession of Tianjin, a city port on the north-east coast of China.

What might the division between Father’s first five children and the two children from Niang suggest about family dynamics?

• The division indicates equal treatment among all children.
• The division shows that all children are raised in the same manner.

• The division reflects a strong bond between all siblings.
• The division suggests a hierarchy and potential rivalry between the children from different mothers.

Aunt Baba was our father's older sister. As she was meek, shy, unmarried and had no money of her own, my parents ordered her to take care of me. From an early age, I slept in a cot in her room. This suited me well because that way I grew to know her better and better. Perhaps inevitably, under the circumstances, we came to love each other very deeply and to share a life apart from the rest of the family.

Who took care of the narrator after her mother died?

• Aunt Baba's friend
• The narrator's mother
• The narrator's grandmother
• Aunt Baba

Aunt Baba was our father's older sister. As she was meek, shy, unmarried and had no money of her own, my parents ordered her to take care of me. From an early age, I slept in a cot in her room. This suited me well because that way I grew to know her better and better. Perhaps inevitably, under the circumstances, we came to love each other very deeply and to share a life apart from the rest of the family.

Why did the narrator feel close to Aunt Baba?

• The narrator felt close to Aunt Baba because they had similar hobbies.
• The narrator felt close to Aunt Baba due to her wealth and social status.
• The narrator felt close to Aunt Baba because they developed a deep bond of love.

• The narrator felt close to Aunt Baba because they often traveled together.

Many years ago, China had lost a war (known as the Opium War) against England and France. As a result, many coastal cities in China (such as Tianjin and Shanghai) came to be occupied by foreign soldiers.

What war did China lose, leading to foreign occupation of its cities?

• Taiping Rebellion
• Sino-Japanese War
• Boxer Rebellion
• Opium War

Many years ago, China had lost a war (known as the Opium War) against England and France. As a result, many coastal cities in China (such as Tianjin and Shanghai) came to be occupied by foreign soldiers.

Why were coastal cities like Tianjin occupied by foreign soldiers after the Opium War?

• Coastal cities like Tianjin were occupied by foreign soldiers due to China's economic prosperity.

• Coastal cities like Tianjin were occupied by foreign soldiers to promote trade agreements.

• The occupation was a result of a natural disaster in China.
• Coastal cities like Tianjin were occupied by foreign soldiers due to China's defeat in the Opium War and the subsequent unequal treaties.

The conquerors parcelled out the best areas of these treaty ports for themselves, claiming them as their "territories" or "concessions". Tianjin's French Concession was like a little piece of Paris transplanted into the centre of this big Chinese city. Our house was built in the French style and looked as if it had been lifted from one of the tree-shaded avenues near the Eiffel Tower. Surrounded by a charming garden, it had porches, balconies, bow windows, awnings and a slanted tile roof. Across the street stood St Louis Catholic Boy's School, where the teachers were French missionaries.

What style was the house the family lived in?

• Victorian style
• French style
• Modern style
• Colonial style

The conquerors parcelled out the best areas of these treaty ports for themselves, claiming them as their "territories" or "concessions". Tianjin's French Concession was like a little piece of Paris transplanted into the centre of this big Chinese city. Our house was built in the French style and looked as if it had been lifted from one of the tree-shaded avenues near the Eiffel Tower. Surrounded by a charming garden, it had porches, balconies, bow windows, awnings and a slanted tile roof. Across the street stood St Louis Catholic Boy's School, where the teachers were French missionaries.

What does the description of the house and neighborhood suggest about the family's socioeconomic status?

• The family likely has a lower socioeconomic status.
• The family is living in poverty.
• The family is part of the working class.
• The family likely has a higher socioeconomic status.

In December 1941, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the United States became involved in the Second World War. Although Tianjin was occupied by the Japanese, the French Concession

continued to be governed by French officials. French policemen strutted about looking important and barking out orders in their own language, which they expected everyone to understand and obey.

Why did French policemen in Tianjin expect everyone to understand and obey their orders in French?

• French was the official language of China at that time.

• The French felt entitled to impose their language on locals.

• The French policemen believed that Tianjin had a large French-speaking population.

• French was a common language in international diplomacy.