Mother Tongue

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.

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

• 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

Tan's attitude toward her mother's use of English is one of

• extreme shame

• justifiable disappointment

• condescending admiration

• conflicted respect

• none of the above

Which of the following is NOT true about the speaker, Amy Tan?

• She was married in China.

• She is the daughter of a Chinese immigrant who speaks "broken" English.

• She is married.

• She is a successful author.

What is an important piece of context that we learn about the treatment of Asian Americans at the time this text was written?

• Many Asian Americans were dealing with illness at this time, like Tan's mother.

• Many Asian Americans were judged based on the clarity of their English speech.

• Many Asian Americans were judged for being frugal with their money.

• Many Asian Americans were becoming writers at this time.

What motivated Tan to write this text?

• She reread her college writing and realized it was incomprehensible.

• She delivered a speech about her writing and realized her mother couldn't understand her formal English.

• She went to the market with her husband and used informal English.

• Her mother complimented her writing.

Which of the following best describes the author's purpose in including the following sentence: "It has always bothered me that I can think of no other way to describe it other than 'broken,' as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness and soundness" (para.8)?

• to criticize the limited terminology used to describe her mother's speech

• to persuade readers that her mother's speech is poor

• to mock her mothers speech

• to concede that terms like "broken" are teh best way to describe her mother's English