Question

whole class reading
1 when my friend bobby klein didn’t make it into the gifted program back in fifth grade, mom said, “what’s so hard about iq? there’s nothing you can’t study for.” she’s right, in my case. there is nothing she can’t make me study for. she keeps a schedule that she brings out whenever i’m not where i’m supposed to be. on saturdays, for example, when she catches me leaving through the kitchen door, she points to the red letters that read, sat. i say, “yeah ma, i know it’s a saturday!” and dad chuckles, which is his way of commiserating.¹
2 my mother is from northern china, a woman with a small face and a big voice and hair that springs from her head so fiercely you’re sure it’s about to have a word with you. she walks home for lunch every day because she believes in moderate exercise and the health hazards of plastic food containers. she is petrified² of credit theft, house theft, car theft, and aids; uncomfortable around emotional confrontation and underachievement.
3 by the time other kids in my year start prepping for the sat, i have already taken nine months of classes. twelve, if you count algebra drills. most of mom’s child - rearing energy is spent on my education, and she’s impatient for results. she likes the kinds of success you can plot and graph, reports you can hold in your hand. this makes the sat the score of all academic scores, representing both a return on one investment³ and the principal for the next.
4 “like the americans say,” she muses, “safety of numbers. that’s what colleges want to see.”
during reading questions
paragraphs 1 - 3
find evidence: underline three details that reveal how the narrator views her mother.

Explanation:

To answer this, we analyze each paragraph for details about the narrator's view of her mother:

1. From Paragraph 1: "She keeps a schedule that she brings out whenever I’m not where I’m supposed to be. On Saturdays, for example, when she catches me leaving through the kitchen door, she points to the red letters that read, SAT. I say, “Yeah Ma, I know it’s a Saturday!” and Dad chuckles, which is his way of commiserating." This shows the mother is strict about the narrator's SAT preparation schedule.

1. From Paragraph 2: "My mother is from northern China, a woman with a small face and a big voice and hair that springs from her head so fiercely you’re sure it’s about to have a word with you. She walks home for lunch every day because she believes in moderate exercise and the health hazards of plastic food containers. She is petrified of credit theft, house theft, car theft, and AIDS; uncomfortable around emotional confrontation and underachievement." This reveals the mother’s cultural background, health-conscious habits, and fears.

1. From Paragraph 3: "By the time other kids in my year start prepping for the SAT, I have already taken nine months of classes. Twelve, if you count algebra drills. Most of Mom’s child - rearing energy is spent on my education, and she’s impatient for results. She likes the kinds of success you can plot and graph, reports you can hold in your hand. This makes the SAT the score of all academic scores, representing both a return on one investment and the principal for the next." This shows the mother is highly invested in the narrator’s education (especially SAT prep) and values measurable success.

Answer:

1. "She keeps a schedule that she brings out whenever I’m not where I’m supposed to be. On Saturdays, for example, when she catches me leaving through the kitchen door, she points to the red letters that read, SAT." (Shows mother’s strictness about SAT schedule)
2. "My mother is from northern China, a woman with a small face and a big voice and hair that springs from her head so fiercely you’re sure it’s about to have a word with you." (Reveals mother’s cultural background and appearance - related trait)
3. "Most of Mom’s child - rearing energy is spent on my education, and she’s impatient for results. She likes the kinds of success you can plot and graph, reports you can hold in your hand." (Shows mother’s focus on education and measurable success)