Practice Questions for Chu Ju's House

Practice Lightning Questions for Chu Ju’s House by Gloria Whelan
These questions are not the best, so I will be adding a second post in the next week or so with additional questions for this book.

Chapter 1

What is the name of the special day Chu Ju and her family celebrate by walking to the cemetery together?  “Tomb Sweeping Day”

What is another name for this celebration?  “Day of Pure Brightness”

How old was Chu Ju when her YeYe died?  Seven years old

What favour did Chu Ju ask her ancestors on Tomb Sweeping Day at the tombstone?  That her expectant MaMa would have a baby boy

Chapter 2

What did Chu Ju do to pass the time while the baby was being born?  Picked weeds out of the garden plot

Why did Chu Ju’s Auntie Tie leave quickly without having any tea?  MaMa had a baby girl, not a boy

What did Chu Ju’s NaiNai want to do with the baby girl?  Give her away

What two objects did Chu Ju compare the baby in her arms to?  A sack of rice or a melon

Chapter 3

What did Chu Ju do for her baby sister and parents?  She packed her stuff and left hom so her parents could keep Baby Hua

Which words did Chu Ju’s YeYe say that encouraged Chu Ju beyond the courtyard?  “There is no end to where the river can take you.”

What lie did Chu Ju tell the fisherman and his family?  That her parents died and her NaiNai was going to sell her to an evil woman

Chapter 4

How long do silkworms eat?  Until they are too fat for their skins

What does Chu Ju have to do to the worms?  Tickle them with a feather

What do the girls call foreigners?  Waiguoren, which means “foreign devil”

What does Chu Ju do for the girls at the orphanage?  She write a letter to the manager of the orphanage about the poor conditions there.

Chapter 5

Why did Chu Ju run away from the woman in the rice paddy who smiled at her?  This kindness was too much for her

What did Quan think Chu Ju could do to help him?  Stay with Han Na and help her while he went to the city.

What pains did Chu Ju have when she weeded the garden with Han Na and Quan?  Back ache and sore feet

Chapter 6

How long did it take for Quan’s first letter to arrive after he went to the city?  A month

How often did Han Na send Chu Ju to the village to buy salt or run errands?  Once a week

What kind of animal did the Zhangs have to plough the rice paddy?  A water buffalo

What kind of crops does Ling tend on his farm?  Fruit trees

Chapter 7

What fruits and vegetables are used for the winter crop at the rice paddy?  Radishes, cabbage, sweet potatoes, melons and squash

Why did Chu Ju think the Zhangs were prosperous?  They live in a 3-bedroom house

What does the government give farms to help them?  Information pamphlets

What bad news comes from Quan’s next letter?  He is in jail and Chu Ju must come with all of Han Na’s savings to get him out.

Chapter 8

What does the man at the noodle shop give to Chu Ju?  A free bowl of noodles

To what does Chu Ju compare all the hundreds of people in the city ?  The silkworms that care only for chewing and nothing of the other worms

How many yuan does it take to get Quan out of jail?  90

Chapter 9

What does Han Na accuse Chu Ju of?  Stealing her money

Who helps Chu Ju and Han Na’s relationship?  Ling

How does Ling help them out?  By telling the truth about Quan’s arrest

What does Han Na suggest after hearing the whole story of Chu Ju’s life?  That she would go and tell her parents where she is and that she is all right

Chapter 10

What does Chu Ju suggest to do to help the rice paddies?  Chu Ju wanted to buy fingerlings

What are fingerlings?  Baby fish that will eat weeds in the rice paddy

What kind of books are in Ling’s collection?  Books forbidden by the government

How old are the books?  Over 200 years old

Why does Ling’s father call the books “dangerous”?  They tell the truth

How did the government know Ling had these books?  Spies are everywhere and Ling had ordered the books somehow.

Chapter 11

Why did Chu Ju write for Quan to come home?  Han Na is growing weaker and will die soon

Who did Han Na want to leave the rice paddy to when she dies?  Chu Ju

Why did Quan want to have Han Na’s funeral so quickly?  So he can go back to the city

What does Quan offer Chu Ju?  To marry her and take her to the city with him

Chapter 12

What gift does Chu Ju give her sister Hua when they are reunited?  A toy panda

What does Chu Ju’s family want her to do?  Sell the farm and move back with them

What is Chu Ju’s last promise to her sisters?  To pay for their education