Question

the little orange way to know my mother
by amy j wan
1 during the winter, my mother always made sure there were plenty of
oranges in our house. they were among the only seasonal fruits available
during the cold months in new england. and on chinese new year there
would be red bowls filled with big fat oranges, smaller thin - skinned
tangerines, and cute little clementines. in the days following, we would eat
them at every meal, trying to finish them before they spoiled. nothing
disappointed my mother more than when an orange went bad, a soft green or
white powdery spot betraying the fruits freshness.
2 “ay - yah.” my mother would say as she threw them away. they made a
heavy thud at the bottom of the kitchen trash can. then she would turn to us
and say, “we will eat these faster.” a pronouncement of fact more than
anything else. we would not waste them.
3 on our monthly visits to grandparents and other relatives, my mother did
much of her grocery shopping in chinatown where oranges were sold
everywhere in high pyramids on the sidewalk instead of in plastic bags like
at the supermarket near our house. bundled in her thick winter coat and
clutching her purse, she was easy to spot in the swarming crowds that
stretched through the narrow, crooked streets. from the warmth and safety of
the car, i noticed how carefully she sorted through the piles of vegetables,
towers of fruit, and bins full of ginger and garlic, tossing aside the ones that
what most strongly suggests that eating oranges in the winter is a tradition passed
down in many families in the authors culture?
○ the eating of oranges at every meal
○ the quantity of oranges sold in chinatown
○ the availability of oranges in new england
○ the inclusion of oranges in family celebrations

Explanation:

To determine which option suggests eating oranges in winter is a tradition passed down in many families, we analyze each choice:

• "the eating of oranges at every meal": The passage says they ate oranges at every meal after Chinese New Year to finish them before spoiling, but this is specific to post - celebration, not evidence of a widespread tradition.
• "the quantity of oranges sold in Chinatown": The mother shops in Chinatown where oranges are sold in high pyramids, but this shows availability for her shopping, not a family tradition passed down.
• "the availability of oranges in New England": Oranges being available in New England is about seasonal availability, not a family tradition.
• "the inclusion of oranges in family celebrations": The text mentions red bowls of oranges on Chinese New Year, a family celebration, and the author's family and likely others in the culture having oranges in such celebrations, suggesting it's a tradition passed down.

Answer:

D. the inclusion of oranges in family celebrations