Question

read the passage and then answer the question to identify a topic element of each paragraph.

niang was speaking to big sister in english and big sister was nodding assent. she glanced at all of us smugly as she took her seat between second brother and niang, full of her own self-importance at being so favored by our stepmother. because her left arm had been paralyzed by a birth injury, her movements were slow and awkward and she liked to order me or third brother to carry out her chores.
\wu mei (fifth younger sister) adeline!\ she now said. \go fetch my english-chinese dictionary. its on my bed in my room. niang wants me to translate something...\

1. what were niang and big sister doing as the family sat down to eat that indicated that big sister was favored?

as they sat down to eat,

, indicating that big sister was favored.

Explanation:

🆕 New Concept Discovered: Textual Evidence Analysis
Finding specific details in a text to support an observation.

Step 1: Identify the key characters and action

The question asks what Niang and Big Sister were doing as the family sat down to eat that showed Big Sister was favored.

Looking at the first sentence of the passage:

"Niang was speaking to Big Sister in English and Big Sister was nodding assent."

This action happens right as she takes her seat (sitting down to eat) and is immediately followed by the narrator noting Big Sister's smugness at "being so favored by our stepmother."

Step 2: Identify the seating arrangement

The passage also describes where Big Sister sits:

"...as she took her seat between Second Brother and Niang..."

Being seated directly next to the stepmother (Niang) and having a private conversation in English highlights her special, favored status compared to the other siblings.

Step 3: Formulate the complete sentence

We need to fill in the blanks of the sentence structure provided in the image:
"As they sat down to eat, [action/event], indicating that Big Sister was favored."

By combining the key details:

• Niang was speaking to Big Sister in English (while Big Sister nodded in agreement).
• Big Sister took her seat directly next to Niang (between Second Brother and Niang).

We can complete the sentence smoothly:
"As they sat down to eat, Niang was speaking to Big Sister in English as Big Sister took her seat next to her, indicating that Big Sister was favored."

Answer:

As they sat down to eat, Niang was speaking to Big Sister in English as Big Sister took her seat next to her, indicating that Big Sister was favored.