Asian American Voices Answers

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Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue."Those tests were constructed around items like fill-in-the-blank sentence completion, such as “Even though Tom was ______, Mary thought he was _____.” And the correct answer always seemed to be the most bland combinations of thoughts, for example, “Even though Tom was foolish, Mary thought he was ridiculous.” Well, according to my mother, there were very few limitations as to what Tom could have been and what Mary might have thought of him. So I never did well on tests like that. How does Tan build a central idea of her story in the excerpt?

A
Tan discusses the types of questions on achievement tests to support the idea that the tests limit students’ ability to write well.
B
Tan explains a question on a language achievement test to support the idea that the tests should include more interesting content.
C
Tan gives an example of her experience with achievement tests to support the idea that they are not always accurate measures of language ability.
D
Tan considers how her mother might answer a question on a test to support the idea that nonstandard English limits a person’s ability to communicate.
3

Which of the following best summarizes one central idea of the passage from "Mother Tongue"?

A
All forms of the English language are meaningful and purposeful.
B
Some forms of the English language do not translate well into writing.
C
The English language would be more efficient with a Chinese structure.
D
English language proficiency can only be determined through testing.
4

Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue." And sure enough, the following week there we were in front of this astonished stockbroker, and I was sitting there red-faced and quiet, and my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting at his boss in her impeccable broken English.Which information from the excerpt best supports the inference that all forms of English can be effective forms of communication?

A
Tan uses “red-faced” to describe herself when her mother is speaking.
B
Tan uses the phrase “the real Mrs.Tan” to refer to her mother.
C
Tan uses the word “shouting” to describe her mother’s tone of voice.
D
Tan uses the word “impeccable” to describe her mother’s English.
5

Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue." And sure enough, the following week there we were in front of this astonished stockbroker, and I was sitting there red-faced and quiet, and my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting at his boss in her impeccable broken English.What can be inferred from the excerpt?

A
Nonstandard forms of English can be as effective as the standard form of English.
B
Nonstandard forms of English limit a speaker’s ability to stand up for herself.
C
Nonstandard forms of English make communication difficult between cultures.
D
Nonstandard forms of English are used more by older adults than by younger adults.
6

Which of the following best summarizes one central idea of the passage from "Mother Tongue"?

A
The way a person speaks English is nobody’s business but family members.
B
The way a person speaks English is not noticed by business professionals.
C
The way a person speaks English is not a good measure of intellectual ability.
D
The way a person speaks English is the best criteria for a career choice.
7

Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue."Just last week, I was walking down the street with my mother, and I again found myself conscious of the English I was using, the English I do use with her. We were talking about the price of new and used furniture and I heard myself saying this: “Not waste money that way.” My husband was with us as well, and he didn’t notice any switch in my English. And then I realized why. It’s because over the twenty years we’ve been together I’ve often used that same kind of English with him, and sometimes he even uses it with me. It has become our language of intimacy, a different sort of English that relates to family talk, the language I grew up with. Which best summarizes the central idea of the excerpt?

A
Nonstandard forms of English are only appropriate among family members.
B
Standard forms of English imply a lack of family values and closeness.
C
Nonstandard forms of English imply close relationships and family values.
D
Standard forms of English are not appropriate among family members.
8

Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue."I’ve heard other terms used, “limited English,” for example. But they seem just as bad, as if everything is limited, including people’s perceptions of the limited English speaker.How does Tan build a central idea of her story in the excerpt?

A
Tan presents factual evidence to support the idea that the English language provides fewer opportunities for expression than other languages.
B
Tan expresses an opinion to support the idea that people who speak nonstandard forms of English are unfairly judged in negative ways.
C
Tan tells a story to support the idea that people who speak nonstandard forms of English are unable to communicate effectively.
D
Tan discusses the limits of writing in English to support the idea that authors learn other languages to express their ideas more fully.
10

Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue."I am a writer. And by that definition, I am someone who has always loved language. I am fascinated by language in daily life. I spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language—the way it can evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth. Language is the tool of my trade. And I use them all—all the Englishes I grew up with.Which best summarizes the central idea in the excerpt?

A
Tan believes that language should be thought of as a communication tool.
B
Tan believes that some forms of English are more powerful than others.
C
Tan enjoys using language to manipulate the feelings and thoughts of readers.
D
Tan enjoys thinking about language and using different forms of English.

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Asian American Voices Answers — ALT ENG 11 S2…