Rules of The Game: Part 1

Rules of the Gameby Amy Tan I was six when my mother taught me the art of invisible strength. It was a strategy for winning arguments, respect from others, and eventually, though neither of us knew it at the time, chess games."Bite back your tongue," scolded my mother when I cried loudly, yanking her hand toward the store that sold bags of salted plums. At home, she said, "Wise guy, he not go against wind. In Chinese we say, Come from South, blow with wind-poom!-North will follow. Strongest wind cannot be seen."The next week I bit back my tongue as we entered the store with the forbidden candies. When my mother finished her shopping, she quietly plucked a small bag of plums from the rack and put it on the counter with the rest of the items...My mother imparted her daily truths so she could help my older brothers and me rise above our circumstances. We lived in San Francisco's Chinatown. Like most of the other Chinese children who played in the back alleys of restaurants and curio shops, I didn't think we were poor. My bowl was always full, three five-course meals every day, beginning with a soup of mysterious things I didn't want to know the names of.We lived on Waverly Place, in a warm, clean, two-bedroom flat that sat above a small Chinese bakery specializing in steamed pastries and dim sum. In the early morning, when the alley was still quiet, I could smell fragrant red beans as they were cooked down to a pasty sweetness. By daybreak, our flat was heavy with the odor of fried sesame balls and sweet curried chicken crescents. From my bed, I would listen as my father got ready for work, then locked the door behind him, one-two-three clicks. Vocabulary Practice 1. The rack was full of mysterious pastries and cakes, which shined with sweetness.2. By daybreak we set out for a walk trough the old-country. Though we've never been there before, we felt we had to inspect it's treasures.3. My mom scolded me for leaving the house so late at night. She was definately against it.4. The boy was yanking his mom's hand because he wanted to get her attention.5. The boy plunked a bouquet of roses from the stand near the counter, paid for it and crammed into his bag.6. The man was sitting on a bench, scattering seeds for the pigeons. He was there daily, always by himself.7. The baby was screaming loudly, however, neither of us knew what to do.8. Sue peered into the mysterious house without knowing what to expect. A cracking noise made her jump in fear, but it was just the woodpecker on the tree. 1. What is the "art of invisible strength"? The power of self confidence. The ability to be quiet. The skill of holding back. All answers are correct. 2. Why does the mother tells her daughter to bite back her tongue?COMPLETE THE SENTENCEThe mother wants to... teach her daughter to behave in public. make her daughter stop talking all the time. help her daughter get the candy she needs. presuade her daughter to go to the store. 3. The narrator says her mother "imparted her daily truths".(A) What does the narrator mean by the phrase imparted her daily truths? passed down along the line of generation gave the gift of knowledge and tradition taught the morals of propare behaviour All ansers are correct. 3. (B) What does it say about the relationship of the mother and daughter? The mother wants her daughter to be agood obedient Chinese girl. The mother wants to teach her daughter how to be a strong person. The mother wants to encourage her children to behave nicely in public. The mother doesn't want her daughter to bother her. 4. The narratoe says her mother "imparted her daily truths so she could help my older brothers and me rise above our circumstances.(A) What are the kids' circumstances?Find THREE correct answers: They are immigrants. They don't go to school. Their family doesn't have much money. They have a playground in the ally. They live in Chinatown. They live in a small apartment, and sleep in one room. They eat soup with mysterious things in it. 4. (B) What does it say about the relationship of the mother and her children? The mother is protective of her children. The mother doesn't want her children to worry about things they cannot change. The mother doesn't like being an immigrant. The moter has a hard time living in San-Francisco. H.O.T.S. - INFERING What does it mean to INFER? When you answer a question using the H.O.T.S. INFERING you should alwys: A. Begin by making an infernce.B. Support it with information from the text.C. Use at least 2 words from the field of infering:infer, conclude, deduct, deduce, read between the lines, assume, suppose, believe, think, understand, probablyD. Make sure to write at least 4 sentence. 5. When the narrator describes her childhood, she says "Like most of the other Chinese children who played in the back alleys of restaurants and curio shops, I didn't think we were poor."Has she changed her mind since then? Answer this question with the H.O.T.S. - INFERING 6. When the narrator's father left the house every morning, she could hear him lock the door with 3 turns of the key.(A) Why do you think he did that? Answer this question using the H.O.T.S. - INFERING (B) How does it make the narrator feel, as a child? It scares her, because she know it is dangerous out side. It excites her because she thinks of all the adventures her father will have at work. It comforts her back to snuggle in bed. It saddens her to know her father is away at work.