Question

read the excerpt from \mother tongue.\
i am a writer. and by that definition, i am someone who has always loved language. i am fascinated by language in daily life. i spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language—the way it can evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth. language is the tool of my trade. and i use them all—all the englishes i grew up with.
how does tan build a central idea of her story in the excerpt?
tan references her writing career to build the idea that writing is the most satisfying career choice for asian americans
tan references her work with language to build the idea that all forms of english are purposeful and meaningful
tan references her fascination with language to build the idea that daily life is the best language source for writers
tan references her thoughts about language to build the idea that more people should think about their language usage

Explanation:

The excerpt focuses on Tan's identity as a writer who values language's power and uses "all the Englishes" she grew up with. Option B aligns with this: she connects her work with language to the idea that all English forms are purposeful and meaningful. Other options are incorrect—A introduces an unrelated claim about Asian Americans' career satisfaction, C emphasizes daily life as a source (not the excerpt's focus), and D pushes for others to think about language usage (not stated).

Answer:

B. Tan references her work with language to build the idea that all forms of English are purposeful and meaningful