Mother Tongue

How does the author describe her mother's English early in the essay "Mother Tongue"?

• good, but in need of improvement

• limited

• she doesn't speak English

• excellent

When the author was young, how did she feel about her mother's use of English?

• encouraged

• embarrassed

• unsure

• proud

Which events are situations the author writes about in which she speaks English on her mother's behalf? Select all correct answers.

• during a CAT scan and with a stock broker

• while giving a presentation and with a stockbroker

• while giving a presentation and while walking down the street

Why did the author know her first book was a success?

• her mother didn't like it

• it was published

• it won awards

• her mother said it was easy to read

How does the anecdote develop the author’s idea?

• It illustrates how people who have medical knowledge are insensitive to patients.

• It reveals why the CAT scan was lost and had to be searched for.

• It supports the idea that the author’s mother is in poor health.

• It shows that the language one uses can have real and important consequences.

What is a central idea of “Mother Tongue"?

• If you grow up in two different cultures, it is important to keep them distinct to avoid confusion.

• To be financially successful in the United States requires a full knowledge of the English language.

• People make inaccurate judgments about others based on the way they express themselves through language.

• Families typically pass down their value system from generation to generation.

Was the author better at math or English in school?

• Math

• English

The author's attitude toward her mother in this passage can be best described as...

• remorseful but angry

• concerned and admiring

• censorious yet understanding

• condenscending and critical

• sentimental yet loving

It can be inferred that the author's primary purpose in the passage "Mother Tongue" is to...

• expunge her own critical guilt for misjudging her mother

• criticize the business and medical worlds immigrants faced

• plead for more understanding of the difficulties

• record her personal journey toward self-acceptance

What point of view is the story "Fish Cheeks" being told from?

• Third person point of view

• Second person point of view

• First person point of view

• My point of view