Question

1 Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of this narrative.
Read this excerpt from “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan.
When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on the phone to pretend I was she. In this guise, I was forced to ask for information or even to complain and yell at people who had been rude to her.
How does this detail develop the central idea?

It depicts how the author was embarrassed by her mother’s use of English.

It reveals why the author felt frustration with her own mother.

It supports the idea that people judged the author’s mother based on her language.

It explains why the author’s mother was not able to speak fluent English.

2 Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of this narrative.
Read this excerpt from "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan.
"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."
Which statement best explains how this paragraph functions in "Mother Tongue"?


It lets Tan focus primarily on what she views as the most important role of language.

It allows Tan to prove that only authors love language.

It allows Tan to demonstrate the universal impact that language has on people.

It helps Tan explain the various important roles that language plays in our lives

Answer 1

It helps Tan explain the various important roles that language plays in our lives.

Answer 2

The above detail develops the central idea of the excerpt as:

It supports the idea that people judged the author’s mother based on her language.

The statement which best explains how the above paragraph functions in "Mother Tongue" is:

It helps Tan explain the various important roles that language plays in our lives.

Amy Tan's essay “Mother Tongue” is about the difficulties that a child has to face if it grows in a family in which its parents speak 'limited English.' Amy's mother was among such parent who was unable to speak fluent and proper English. It is through the language that the person is judged by others. Amy was brought up by her mother and because of this, her writing style was much influenced by the language spoken at her home. Her mother taught her that a person's perception of the world is influenced by the language spoken at home.