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1 text analysis
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2 critical thi...
Global understanding of the text
Skim the text and answer the following questions.
1) What type of writing is the text?
2) What’s the author’s purpose of writing this passage?
Figure out the main idea and the function of each part based on the given structure.
Part I (Paras. 1-9)
Part II (Paras. 10-26)
Part III (Paras. 27-31)
Parts | Main idea | Function |
Part I (Paras. 1-9) | ||
Part II (Paras. 10-26) | ||
Part III (Paras. 27-31) |
Detailed understanding of the text
Read the text again and answer the following questions.
1) Why did the author’s mother describe her Sau-sau by using the expression “nominal courtesy” (Para. 1) at the dinner?
2) How did the article in The New York Times Magazine describe Chinese language and culture?
3) Why did the author’s parents scold her when she answered them with a question?
4) How do the author’s parents speak Chinese differently from what Americans think of Chinese?
5) How does the author feel about the description of Chinese people as being “modest and polite” (Para. 24)?
6) According to the text, how do Chinese people say “yes” or “no” when answering questions?