"Two Kinds" by Amy Tan

What does Jing-mei's mother believe about America? Select all the answers that apply.

• America is a land of fame, wealth, and opportunity.

• America is a land of corruption.

• Life in America will be harder than life was in China.

• Life in America will be better than the life she left behind in China.

Why does Jing-mei's mother bring her to the beauty training school in the mission district?

• She wants her to look like a Chinese version of Shirley Temple.

• She wants to get Jing-mei a popular Peter Pan haircut.

• She wants Jing-mei to learn how to style hair and study cosmetology.

• She wants to treat her to a mother-daughter pedicure.

Which of the following best describes Jing-mei's attitude toward becoming a prodigy in the beginning of the story?

• Jing-mei feels like she will disappoint her parents.

• Jing-mei is angry with her mother for pushing her to be a prodigy.

• Jing-mei enjoys imagining what kind of prodigy she will be and how much her parents will adore her.

• Jing-mei rebels against the idea because she thinks that Shirley Temple is silly.

What does Jing-mei's mother do to help her discover what kind of prodigy she is?

• She forces her to watch Shirley Temple movies as if they are training films.

• She quizzes her on the capitals of different countries.

• She asks her to predict the temperatures of London and New York.

• She enters Jing-mei into a national spelling bee.

Jing-mei comes to a realization when she sees herself in the mirror as a strong girl. What promise does she make to herself?

• She will be as famous as Shirley Temple.

• She will outdo Waverly's achievements and successes.

• She will make her mother proud.

• She will not let her mother change her into something she is not.

How did Jing-mei pass the time while her mother was putting her through different tests?

• She would count the wrinkles on her mother's face.

• She would imagine her life as a child actress.

• She would count the bellows of the fog horn on the bay.

• She would fantasize about playing piano on the Ed Sullivan show.

What inspired Jing-mei's mother to decide that she should play the piano?

• The family inherited a Wurlitzer Spinet piano from an elderly relative.

• She saw a little Chinese girl playing piano on the Ed Sullivan Show.

• She watched a movie with Shirley Temple playing the piano.

• Auntie Lindo said that Jing-mei has real musical talent.

What does Jing-mei's mother believe about her?

• Jing-mei isn't as talented as Waverly.

• She would have had a better life if they had stayed in China.

• She spends too much time comparing herself to Waverly.

• The only reason she's not a prodigy is because she isn't trying her best.

How does Jing-mei's mother arrange for her to have piano lessons?

• She trades her cleaning services for a piano instructor to teach Jing-mei.

• She asks Auntie Lindo to lend her money to pay for Jing-mei's piano lessons.

• She agrees to tutor Waverly in English in exchange for Auntie Lindo teaching Jing-mei how to play the piano.

• She gets another job to pay for the sheet music and piano lessons.

How did Jing-mei defy her mother's plan for her to become a musical prodigy?

• She insulted her piano teacher until he quit.

• She was lazy and never corrected her mistakes.

• She skipped out on her piano lessons.

• She tore up the sheets of piano music.