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Reading Comprehension Quiz (Amy Tan, “Mother Tongue”)

Reading Comprehension Quiz

Amy Tan, “Mother Tongue”

Read “Mother Tongue” and check your comprehension by answering the following questions. Click the submit button when finished.

Question Tan says that the phrase “broken English” makes her wince. Why is that?

1. Tan says that the phrase “broken English” makes her wince. Why is that?

The phrase implies that the type of English spoken by many people needs to be fixed.

People who communicate with broken English often are able to convey their meaning perfectly; thus, the English is not “broken.”

This is an imperfect description of a communication method that works well for many people.

All of the above.

Question How might the tone of this article be described?

2. How might the tone of this article be described?

sensitive and reflective

judgmental and vindictive

amused and comical

None of the above.

Question Paragraph 6 is a transcribed narrative of Tan’s mother telling a story about her youth. What effect is Tan trying to achieve by including this in the essay?

3. Paragraph 6 is a transcribed narrative of Tan’s mother telling a story about her youth. What effect is Tan trying to achieve by including this in the essay?

Tan is allowing the reader to authentically “hear” her mother to better understand what Tan is meaning by “Mother Tongue.”

Tan includes the story as an amusing anecdote.

Tan’s mother came from humble origins and this story shows why she pushed Amy so hard.

None of the above.

Question Why does Tan include the types of things her mother reads?

4. Why does Tan include the types of things her mother reads?

It is intended to draw criticism away from Tan’s writing, which relies on “broken English.”

The different sources of reading material are meant to ridicule Tan’s mother, who could never fully understand them.

She intends to highlight the contrast between the way her mother speaks and what she understands.

Tan includes this information to build her own ethos as a writer.

Question In the examples of Tan’s mother communicating with different professional people in her everyday life, what does Tan reveal about typical biases in America?

5. In the examples of Tan’s mother communicating with different professional people in her everyday life, what does Tan reveal about typical biases in America?

Americans are very focused on money.

Americans tend to judge people’s intelligence based on their command of English.

Americans are very forgiving of simple mistakes.

Americans are not very detail-oriented.

Question Tan uses second person pronouns in various places in the essay. Why might Tan have chosen to do this?

6. Tan uses second person pronouns in various places in the essay. Why might Tan have chosen to do this?

It distances the reader from the subject.

It is accusatory, blaming the reader for judging people based on their language skills.

It is her way of using academic language rather than familiar language in this essay.

It brings the reader into the story in a more intimate way.

Question Tan uses a similar phrase at the beginning of the second and third sections. Why might she use repetition in her transitions?

7. Tan uses a similar phrase at the beginning of the second and third sections. Why might she use repetition in her transitions?

The repetition allows the reader to know better that she is moving to a completely new idea.

The repetition is meant to tie together the two ideas that she has been thinking about and to indicate their interrelatedness.

There is no purpose to the repetition.

None of the above.

Question Who is the intended audience for this essay?

8. Who is the intended audience for this essay?

fans of Amy Tan

teachers of English

English Language Learners

a general audience