Name: __________________________ HR: ______________
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Comprehension Questions
Chapter 1
1. What is the setting of this novel? (include the name of the village) __________________________________________
2. Describe what life is like for Minli and her family. _______________________________________________________
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3. What reason does Ba give Minli when she asks why nothing grows on Fruitless Mountain? ______________________
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Chapter 2-3
1. Where do Minli, her mother and her father work? ________________________________________ Describe their
working conditions. __________________________________________________________________________________
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2. What does Minli buy with her copper coin? ___________________________________ Why does she buy this item?
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3. Explain how Ma feels about Ba’s stories. How do you know that she feels this way? ___________________________
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4. According to Ba’s story, what is so special about the Old Man of the Moon? _________________________________
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Chapters 4 – 8
1. What does Minli do with the goldfish? _______________________________________________ Why does she
decide to do this? ___________________________________________________________________________________
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2. What information does the goldfish give to Minli? _______________________________________________________
3. Why does Minli leave the village? ____________________________________________________________________
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4. How do Ma and Ba react when they learn that Minli has left? ______________________________________________
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5. What sound does Minli hear as she is drinking water? _________________________________________ When she
goes to investigate the sound what does she find? _______________________________________________________
Chapters 9-10
1. Use indirect characterization to describe Ma. ___________________________________________________________
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2. Who tied up the dragon? _____________________________________________________ Why did they tie him up?
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Chapters 11-12
1. How did the dragon come to be? ____________________________________________________________________
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2. On page 52, use direct characterization to describe the Magistrate. _________________________________________
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3. Who do Ma and Ba run into when they are looking for Minli? _____________________________________ What
advice does he give them? ____________________________________________________________________________
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Chapters 13-15
1. How do Minli and the dragon get past the monkeys? ____________________________________________________
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2. What was the Paper of Happiness? __________________________________________________________________
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3. What do you think was written on the Paper of Happiness? Why? _________________________________________
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Chapters 16-18
1. Who is Minli supposed to find in the City of Bright Moonlight? ____________________________________ What is
she supposed to ask for when she gets there? ____________________________________________________________
2. What was the Dragon Gate? ________________________________________________________________________
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3. Describe the City of Bright Moonlight. ________________________________________________________________
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4. Describe the buffalo boy’s friend. ____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________ What is so unique about her? ___________________________
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Chapters 19 – 22
1. How do the villagers react when Ma and Ba come back without Minli? ______________________________________
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2. What does Minli do to help the poor beggar? __________________________________________________________
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3. Explain why the peach tree that the beggar plants teaches the vendor a lesson? ______________________________
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4. Who is the beggar? ________________________________________________ How does he react to being followed
by Minli? __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Chapters 23 – 26
1. What was different about the King’s story of the Magistrate and the Old Man of the Moon? ____________________
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2. What did the paper from the Book of Fortune say? ______________________________________________________
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What does the King decide to do with the paper? _________________________________________________________
Why is this a hard decision for him to make? _____________________________________________________________
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3. Who were the stone lions? _________________________________________________________________________
4. What do they have that Minli needs? _________________________________________________________________
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Chapters 27 – 31
1. Where do Minli and dragon spend the night? ______________________________________________________
What do they hear that startles them? __________________________________________________________________
2. What happens when the tiger starts to enter the cave? __________________________________________________
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3. What happened when Minli left to get help for dragon? __________________________________________________
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4. How did the little girl trick the tiger? __________________________________________________________________
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Chapters 32 – 36
1. How was Dragon saved from the poison of the Tiger’s claws? ______________________________________________
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2. Characterize A-Fu and Da-Fu. _______________________________________________________________________
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3. Why is the village called “The Village of the Moon Rain”? _________________________________________________
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4. In chapter 35, how does Ma become a dynamic character? _______________________________________________
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5. Who is the Tiger and why is he after A-Fu and Da-Fu’s family? _____________________________________________
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Chapters 37 – 38
1. Describe life in the Village of the Moon Rain. ______________________________________________________
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2. What was Minli’s coat made out of? Why is this so special? __________________________________________
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3. After reading chapter 37, what do you think the “secret of happiness” was and why do you think this? ________
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4. Who were A-Fu and Da-Fu’s ancestors? How do you know this? ______________________________________
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Chapters 39 – 41
1. How does Minli get up to the top of Endless Mountain? ___________________________________________________
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2. Summarize the story that Ba tells Ma to help pass the time. ______________________________________________
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Chapters 42 – 45
1. Why does Wu-Kang try to chop down the same tree night after night? ______________________________________
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2. What question does Minli choose to ask the Old Man of the Moon? Why? ___________________________________
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3. What does the story that Ma tells reveal about her character? _____________________________________________
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Chapters 46 – 48
1. At the beginning of Chapter 46, name 3 familiar things that Minli and Dragon see. _____________________________
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2. How does Dragon feel when he sees Fruitless Mountain? _________________________________________________
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3. In Chapter 47, what do we learn about Dragon? ________________________________________________________
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4. In Chapter 48, describe the village that the Goldfish Man comes back to. _____________________________________
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To prepare for the test:
 Study your notes on characterization (be able to identify definitions, offer examples and analyze characters
from a text)
 Study your notes on figurative language (be able to identify definitions, examples, and interpret examples)
 Review over comprehension questions (you will be able to use your novel on the unit test)
 Review over your journal