Test #2: Reading Comprehension and Written Response
You will need to study:
- Chapters 1 and 2 of the novel.
- Review the chapter summaries completed in class.
- Read through the handouts provided in class as you will be asked to read an excerpt and provide written responses to one of the articles. YOU MUST USE COMPLETE SENTENCES.
Chapter 1 Summary
Setting: China 1903, San Francisco
Characters: Moon Shadow, Mother, Grandmother, Hand-Clap, Father (Windrider) & Grandfather
Plot:
Characters: Moon Shadow, Mother, Grandmother, Hand-Clap, Father (Windrider) & Grandfather
Plot:
- Moon Shadow is eight years old (by Tang traditions) and lives with his Mother and Grandmother in China.
- Moon Shadow’s Grandfather went to work in America and was lynched by a mob.
- Moon Shadow has never met his Father who is currently working overseas in “the land of the Golden Mountain”.
- Moon Shadow’s Father was a master kite maker in China; however, he went overseas to work during the Gold Rush and now cleans clothes for a living.
- Moon Shadow and his Mother love to fly the kites his Father made and left for him.
- Hand-Clap is Moon Shadow’s cousin.
- Hand-Clap brings a letter to Moon Shadow’s home with an important invitation from Moon Shadow’s Father.
- Moon Shadow makes the decision to go to America as his Father has requested. He is scared and nervous but feels he must obey his Father’s wishes.
- Hand-Clap takes Moon-Shadow to America by boat where he must successfully cross through customs.
- Moon Shadow meets his Father for the very first time at the end of Chapter 1.
Chapter 2 Summary
Setting: San Francisco 1903, Chinatown, Company of the Peach Orchard Vow
Characters: Moon Shadow, Father (Windrider), Uncle Bright Star, White Deer, Lefty, Black Dog, the "white demons"
Plot:
Characters: Moon Shadow, Father (Windrider), Uncle Bright Star, White Deer, Lefty, Black Dog, the "white demons"
Plot:
- Moon Shadow meets the various members of his family for the very first time near the docks.
- They travel together through the city toward Chinatown.
- Moon Shadow observes that there are no women visible in the streets. This is because the men are not allowed to bring their wives with them.
- Moon Shadow arrives at the Company of the Peach Orchard Vow. This is where the Tang family work and live.
- They run a laundry business located in the bottom floor of the building.
- The Tang members have a celebration dinner to welcome Moon Shadow to the company.
- Moon Shadow receives gifts of clothes and boots as well as a kite from his Father.
- Black Dog arrives late and acts insolent. He brings news that the "white demons" are threatening violence against the Tang people.
- The "white demons" throw a brick through the shop window.
- The Tang men clean up the mess as Moon Shadow is shown the room where he will now be living.
Review Activities
Written Response
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Chinese immigrants in the 19th century worked as laborers, particularly on the transcontinental railroad, such as the Central Pacific Railroad. They also worked as laborers in the mining industry and suffered racial discrimination. Despite the provisions for equal treatment of Chinese immigrants, political and labor organizations rallied against the immigration of what they regarded as a degraded race and “cheap Chinese labor”.
In 1924 the law barred further entries of Chinese; those already in the United States had been ineligible for citizenship since the previous year. Also by 1924, all Asian immigrants (except people from the Philippines, which had been annexed by the United States in 1898) were utterly excluded by law, denied citizenship and naturalization, and prevented from marrying white people or owning land.
USE THE TEXT ABOVE AND COMPLETE SENTENCES TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.
(Respond in your journals).
§ Use a dictionary to look up any words that you do not understand.
Each answer should be at least 2 complete sentences. Proofread your answers.
1) Explain why you think the United States was not the best place for Chinese to work?
2) What impact did the immigration laws have on Chinese workers?
3) What is racial discrimination?
Write a paragraph on each of the following topics.
Reminder: A paragraph is 5-7 complete sentences. Use capital letters and full stops.
1) Explain the importance of family. Use examples from the novel and/or your own life.
2) Explain Moon Shadow’s family situation. What is the “Company”? What is the relationship between business and family?
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Chinese immigrants in the 19th century worked as laborers, particularly on the transcontinental railroad, such as the Central Pacific Railroad. They also worked as laborers in the mining industry and suffered racial discrimination. Despite the provisions for equal treatment of Chinese immigrants, political and labor organizations rallied against the immigration of what they regarded as a degraded race and “cheap Chinese labor”.
In 1924 the law barred further entries of Chinese; those already in the United States had been ineligible for citizenship since the previous year. Also by 1924, all Asian immigrants (except people from the Philippines, which had been annexed by the United States in 1898) were utterly excluded by law, denied citizenship and naturalization, and prevented from marrying white people or owning land.
USE THE TEXT ABOVE AND COMPLETE SENTENCES TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.
(Respond in your journals).
§ Use a dictionary to look up any words that you do not understand.
Each answer should be at least 2 complete sentences. Proofread your answers.
1) Explain why you think the United States was not the best place for Chinese to work?
2) What impact did the immigration laws have on Chinese workers?
3) What is racial discrimination?
Write a paragraph on each of the following topics.
Reminder: A paragraph is 5-7 complete sentences. Use capital letters and full stops.
1) Explain the importance of family. Use examples from the novel and/or your own life.
2) Explain Moon Shadow’s family situation. What is the “Company”? What is the relationship between business and family?
Possible Response Ideas
REMEMBER: Each answer should be at least 2 complete sentences. Proofread your answers.
1) Explain why you think the United States was not the best place for Chinese to work?
Answers may include:
2) What impact did the immigration laws have on Chinese workers?
Answers may include:
3) What is racial discrimination?
Answers may include:
Write a paragraph on each of the following topics.
Reminder: A paragraph is 5-7 complete sentences. Use capital letters and full stops.
1) Explain the importance of family. Use examples from the novel and/or your own life.
Answers will vary.
2) Explain Moon Shadow’s family situation. What is the “Company”? What is the relationship between business and family?
Answers will vary.
1) Explain why you think the United States was not the best place for Chinese to work?
Answers may include:
- Racism / Discrimination
- Poor working conditions / poor pay
- Limitations on immigration (including the separation of families)
- Inequalities (including not being able to own land / marry white women….)
2) What impact did the immigration laws have on Chinese workers?
Answers may include:
- The separation of men from their wives and children
- Unable to obtain citizenship
- Unable to own land
- Inequalities in pay and treatment
3) What is racial discrimination?
Answers may include:
- Discrimination based on cultural or ethnic basis
- Example from the novel: The “white demons” vandalize Chinatown on a regular basis and believe that it is justifiable because the Chinese should not be there in the first place. The Chinese are also subject to discriminating name calling as they walk through town.
Write a paragraph on each of the following topics.
Reminder: A paragraph is 5-7 complete sentences. Use capital letters and full stops.
1) Explain the importance of family. Use examples from the novel and/or your own life.
Answers will vary.
2) Explain Moon Shadow’s family situation. What is the “Company”? What is the relationship between business and family?
Answers will vary.
- The Company is the group of men who live and run the laundry business out of The Peach Orchard Vow building. They are all Tang men and related in some way. It is a family owned and operated business.
- Moon Shadow is only just beginning to develop his relationship with his father, as ‘a man cannot be a father through letters’.
- Moon Shadow chose to leave his mother and the comfort of his life in China as he felt it was his duty as son to obey his father’s request.