Inside Out and Back Again



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Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhhai Lai

Part I – multiple choice bank

1. In the poem “1975,” why would Mother warn, “how we act today foretells the whole year”?

a. If you act happy, then you will be.

b. Mother is a fortune teller.

2. In the poem “Inside Out,” which of the evidences below supports the claim, “The war is coming closer to home”?

a. “This year he predicts our lives will twist inside out.”

b. “…this year’s báng chu’ng, eaten only during Tết, will be smeared in blood.”

3. In the poem “Kim Hà”, Hà hides her brothers’ sandals when they tease her. Why?

a. Hà is a brat to her brothers.

b. Hà wants to get back at them by making sure their feet hurt.

4. In the poem “Papaya Tree,” why is it important to Hà to be the first to see her papaya ripen?

a. Hà’s brothers saw things first and it’s her tree.

b. Hà planted the tree so she should harvest it.

5. In the poem “Titi Waves Good-bye,” Hà says, “I’m glad we’ve become poor so we can stay.” What inference can be made about Hà’s economic status in the past?

a. Her family used to be rich.

b. Her family has always been poor.

6. From the poem, “Missing in Action,” re-read the following passage.

“This day Mother prepares an altar to chant for his return, offering fruit, incense, tuberoses, and glutinous rice.”

What does glutinous mean?

a. hungry

b. sticky

7. Up to and including the poem “Mother’s Days,” a thread thus far in the story is that war is coming closer. What evidence best supports that claim?

a. “At night she stays up late designing and cutting baby clothes…”

b. “People can barely afford food.”

8. In the poem “Eggs,” Brother Khôi wants to raise a chick? Why might that be?

a. He wants more chickens.

b. He wants something to love.

9. In the poem “Current News,” why would Miss Xinh want to focus on “happy news”?

a. There’s too much negative news daily.

b. She’s an optimist.

10. After reading the poem “Feel Smart,” do you think Hà will eventually feel guilty?

a. Yes

b. No

Why? ___________________________________________________

11. In the poem “Two More Papayas,” what poetic device is used in the line “soft as a yam”?

a. simile

b. metaphor

12. Why did the author include “Unknown Father” in the book?

a. To give background information for Hà.

b. To make the reader upset.

13. Re-read the following quote from “TV News.”

“One cannot justify war unless each side flaunts its own blind conviction.”

What does Brother Quang mean when he says this?

a. There cannot be war unless people refuse to see.

b. There cannot be war unless each side refuses to see the other’s side’s point.

14. In the poem “Birthday,” Hà’s mother is described with the words, “…even as a child her parents were alarmed by the weight in her eyes.” What does this mean?

a. Mother’s eyes are droopy.

b. Mother’s eyes are sad.

15. Re-read the following from “Birthday Wishes.”

Wish Mother would stop chiding me to stay calm, which makes it worse”

What does chiding mean?

a. scolding

b. encouraging

16. In the poem “A Day Downtown,” why does the author repeat “long long long” and “talk talk talk” about President Thiêu and the ceremony?

a. To emphasize how boring the ceremony is.

b. To show that Hà is only 10.

17. In the poem “Twisting Twisting,” why do Mother’s brows “twist like laundry being wrung dry”?

a. Mother is upset.

b. Mother likes making weird facial expressions.

18. In the poem “Closed Too Soon,” Hà keeps pinching Tram, her desk mate. Why does Hà do that?

a. Hà is a bully.

b. Hà is jealous and doesn’t know how to deal with it.

19. In the poem “Promises,” what does the papaya tree symbolize fro Hà?

a. Her current life and the hope of it getting better.

b. Food.

20. In the poem “Bridge to the Sea,” why would being able to avoid the navy checkpoint be important if it’s time for Hà’s family to leave their country?

a. The checkpoint will slow them down and maybe stop the family from leaving.

b. The family wants no record of leaving.

21. In the poem titled, “Should We?”, Mother seems to want the family to leave even though she is asking for input. What evidence best supports this claim?

a. “Khôi will be rewarded for reporting to his teacher everything we say in the house.”

b. “Everyone knows he dreams of touching the same ground where Bruce Lee walked.”

22. In the poem “Ssshhhhhhh,” why is it important to Khôi and Hà to protect the chick and papayas?

a. Khôi and Hà are protective.

b. The chick and papayas represent hope of keeping their current life.

23. Re-read the following passage from “Quiet Decision.”

I start to chop off a potato’s end as wide as a thumbnail, then decide to slice off only a sliver.”

What does sliver mean?

a. A type of metal.

b. A tiny piece.

24. In the poem “Early Monsoon,” the reader can see that war is coming even closer to home. What evidence best supports this claim?

a. “Distant yet within ears, within eyes.”

b. “Not that far away after all.”

25. In the poem “The President Resigns,” President Thiêu says, “I can no longer be your president but I will never leave my people or our country.” Mother seems to think he’s lying. Why?

a. The president will probably be one of the first to leave.

b. The president always lies.

26. In the poem “Watch Over Us,” Uncle Son tells Hà’s family to be ready to go but tell no one. Only Navy families will board the Navy ship. Is this preferential treatment right or wrong? Why?

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27. In the poem “Crisscrossed Packs,” Mother says, “Come with us or we’ll all stay. Think, my son; your action will determine our future.” This is a heavy decision for a teen to make. Why would Mother do this to Khoî?

a. So Khoî will understand how serious the situation is.

b. Mother is mean and doesn’t care how difficult the decision is.

28. In the poem “Choice,” why must the family be so careful with what they pack?

a. There is only so much room on the ship.

b. Mother is mean and wants no reminders of their life in Vietnam.

29. Closely re-read this passage from “Left Behind.”

We cannot leave evidence of Father’s life that might hurt him.”

Why can’t they leave evidence?

a. The North may take revenge on Father if he’s still alive.

b. Looters might go looking for Father.

30. What is “wet and crying” in the poem of the same name?

a. Hà

b. papaya seeds

31. Closely re-read the passage from “Sour Backs.”

“But our family sticks together like wet pages.”

This is an example of a…

a. simile

b. metaphor

32. Closely re-read the passage below from “One Mat Each.”

“By sunset our space is one straw mat.”

a. onomatopoeia

b. alliteration

33. In the poem “In the Dark,” why did Uncle Son take the family off the ship, and then back on again?

a. To get on the other ship

b. To get people to leave the first ship

34. In the last poem of Part I, “Saigon Is Gone,” why would the author find it appropriate to end Part I with the words, “It’s over; Saigon is gone”?

a. Hà’s former life is over, just like Saigon is gone.

b. Part I is over, just like Saigon is gone.

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