WorksheetsFish Cheeks by Ann Tan
Total questions: 29
Worksheet time: 1hrs 27mins
Who is coming to visit Amy and her family for dinner?
Amy's cousin
Robert and his family
Grandma
Amy's best friend
What point of view is the story being told from?
Third person point of view
Second person point of view
First person point of view
My point of view
Why did Amy want to "disappear"?
She was embarrassed because she belched in front of Robert
She was embarrassed about the way her family members were eating.
She had a zit on her forehead.
She dropped her plate while serving food.
How does the narrator's description of the cod impact the tone of the passage?
She describes it as "slimy" and pathetic, which contributes to the angry tone of the passage.
She describes it as "slimy" with "bulging eyes," which contributes to the horrified tone of the passage.
She describes it as pleading with big "bulging eyes," which contributes to the pitying tone of the passage.
She describes it as pleading not to be cooked, which contributes to the mocking tone of the passage.
How does the narrator's point of view affect how the events are described in the passage?
She is nervous to have the boy she likes over for Christmas dinner, and so the text focuses entirely on the boy's reactions
She is bored with her family's old Chinese traditions and wants to try new modern customs, and this affects how she focuses on being more "American."
She is excited to have the minister's son over for Christmas, and this excitement causes her to criticize every little detail of her mother's cooking.
She is embarrassed by her family's Chinese customs, and this shame influences how she describes the food and her family's behavior.
When the author saw the food her mother was cooking, she most likely felt:
amused
surprised
excited
ashamed
What does the word "despair" mean as used in paragraph 5?
Shock
misery
frustration
Disgust
What does paragraph 8 reveal about the narrator's character development?
After dinner, she realizes that the minister's son is not as friendly as she thought.
As an adult, she regrets trying to fit in with other Americans and losing her identity.
Years later, she learns to appreciate her family and her Chinese American identity.
Years later, she learns to love her mother's cooking, which she previously hated.
What is a polite custom after a meal in Chinese culture?
belching
saying "Thank you"
standing up
shaking the hand of the host
What is meant by: "Your only shame is to have shame."?
Be proud of who you are.
You cannot be responsible for the actions of others.
Accept others for what they are.
You only find true love once.
In paragraph 5, the word "grimace" means:
Smile
Lower
Frown
Face
Which could be a theme of the story "Fish Cheeks"?
Don't let others get too close to your heart.
Friendship is important to young people.
Love can cause us to do selfish things.
Be proud of who you are.
What can you infer about the minister's family in this story?
They are embarrassed and shocked by the behavior of the narrator's relatives at dinner.
They are comfortable eating with people of different backgrounds and cultures.
They are allergic to the exotic food being served by the narrator's mother.
They are excited to have the opportunity to try new and different foods for Christmas.
How is the character of Amy affected by her culture?
Her Chinese relatives and the unique food on the menu make her feel uncomfortable in her own home.
Her father's behavior at dinner makes her wish she had been born into a different family.
She desperately wishes to appear more American, so she feels better when her mother gives her the skirt.
She is proud of her home and happy to have guests over for dinner making her feel confident.
Why is Amy nervous about having guests over for dinner?
She lives in an apartment.
She has been sick.
Her mom is loud and embarrassing.
She is embarrassed about her family's Chinese customs.
The narrator refers to her family's efforts at hosting a Christmas dinner as a "shabby Chinese Christmas". The word "shabby" shows her
pride
embarrassment
confidence
Anger
What does the tweed skirt symbolize?
Chinese culture
American culture
Amy's freedom
Japanese culture
Which line best shows the contrast of Tan's family and Robert's family?
"Robert grunted hello, and I pretended he was not worthy of existence."
"My relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks and reached across the table, dipping them into the dozen or so plates of food. Robert and his family waited patiently for platters to be passed to them."
"Then my father poked his chopsticks just below the fish eye and plucked out the soft meat. 'Amy, your favorite,' he said, offering me the tender fish cheek."
"And then they arrived - the minister's family and all my relatives in a clamor of doorbells and rumpled Christmas packages."
What can the reader infer about the minister from the line: "The minister managed to muster up a quiet burp. I was stunned into silence for the rest of the night."?
He had an upset stomach from all of the weird foods he ate.
He was rude and really did not have good manners either.
He liked to shock people with his ability to burp.
He wanted to show his appreciation for the meal.
What is revealed about the narrator's mother through the line: "For Christmas Eve that year, she had chosen all my favorite foods."?
She thought her daughter needed to be embarrassed, so she would stop trying so hard to impress boys.
She cared that her daughter was proud of who she was, even if it made her different.
She doesn't like Americans and did not want her daughter to be too much like one.
She loves her husband more than her daughter.
What is the main idea of the personal narrative called "Fish Cheeks"?
A girl who is in love with the minister's son but cannot date him
A girl who is embarrassed to have guests over for dinner due to her cultural differences
A girl who moved to the United States from China
A girl who feels left out because she is Chinese
Which of the following quotes best hints toward the lesson (theme) of the story?
"For Christmas Eve that year, she had chosen all my favorite foods."
"My relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks and reached across the table..."
"You must be proud you are different."
"I fell in love with the minister's son when I turned fourteen."
"My relatives murmured with pleasure when my mother brought out the whole steamed fish." The word "murmured" means her family was
speaking in a happy undertones when they saw the dish
speaking loudly to show their satisfaction
shouting and screaming
talking so softly no one could hear what they were saying.
What is the name for the perspective from which a story is told?
point of view
character
theme
setting
What do we call the central message or lesson of a story?
topic
theme
concept
conflict
The conflict in the story "Fish Cheeks" could best be described as:
person versus nature
person versus self
person versus person
none of the above
Which point of view uses pronouns like "I", "we", and "my"?
first person
third person limited
third person omniscient
none of the above
What kind of punctuation should the title of a short story have?
only the first word should be capitalized
capitalized and quotation marks
italicized
underlined
In Amy Tan's story "Fish Cheeks," when the author saw the food the mother was cooking, she most likely felt
amused
surprised
excited
ashamed
