Name ______________________________________________ Core ____________________ Date ______________________
Goodbye Vietnam
Chapter 1
1. Who is a part of Mai's family?
2. What is Grandmother's profession?
3. Where is Mai's Uncle?
4. What were 'noi'?
5. Why does Grandmother call Mai 'Hai'?
6. What reasons are given for the family leaving the village?
7. What was kept in the buried metal chest?
8. What is the family planning to do?
Activity -What has been the scariest event in your life? Write about what happened.
Chapter 2
1. Where did mother send the children?
2. Why did the government watch Grandmother?
3. What did the children find at the store that surprised them?
4. How does Father say the family will escape?
5. Who were the 'ma da'?
6. What does Grandmother really have in her basket?
7. Who do you think is saddest about leaving? What words or phrases indicate this?
Activity - You are Mai. Write a goodbye letter to your best friend in Vietnam who you will probably never see
again. Tell her about what you are thinking and feeling.
Chapter 3
1. How long will the journey to Go Cong take?
2. What was Anh's reaction to seeing Go Cong?
3. How did Grandmother bribe the officer? What do you think would have happened if she had not done this?
Activity - What is your favorite food? Write a recipe for your favorite dinner. Include a list of ingredients and a
procedure to make the dish.
Chapter 4
1. Who did the family go to in Go Cong?
2. Who else did they meet in this man's house?
3. Where did Bac si Hong and her daughter Kim come from?
4. What is Grandmother's reaction to Bac si Hong? Why do you think she is so skeptical?
5. What instrument does Kim play?
Activity - If you could play any musical instrument, what would it be and why?
Chapter 5
1. What is the Father needed to do on the boat?
2. What is Bac si Hong concerned about?
3. Why are the people cheering?
4. How do you think Mai feels at the end of this chapter?
Activity - You have won a trip to take a trip to any destination you wish. Where would you go and what would you
see and do there? Explain your answer.
Chapter 6
1. Describe what Mai sees onboard the boat.
2. What does Father think of Captain Muoi? How is this indicated?
3. Describe Captain Muoi.
4. What do Kim and Mai talk about?
5. Who introduces himself to Mai's family?
6. What was Bac si Hong offering to people who were ill?
7. How did Kim's father die?
Activity - Politicians often make speeches trying to persuade people to believe what they think about issues. How
can this be either a good or bad?
Chapters 7 - 10
* Put the events from these chapters in the order in which they took place;
1. Father jumped in the water to save the boy
2. Vu Loi introduces himself
3. Quang becomes sick
4. Grandmother killed the duck
5. Loi captures a turtle
6. Dao gave birth to a baby boy
7. Bac Si Hung examined the boy
8. Grandmother was given the drumstick
9. Captain Muoi tries Loi's course
10. Loi makes a fishing net
Activity - What were the high and low points of the boat trip? Divide your page in half and write the events in the
appropriate columns.
Chapter 11
1. Why was Kim excited?
2. Describe what Mai sees as they come close to shore and into the harbor.
3. Why do you think some people shouted at them “you are not wanted here”?
4. Why is Grandmother whimpering?
5. What did Mai see as they drove through the city?
6. Why can't Bac si Hong help in Hong Kong?
7. What does Binh say to Pham Van Tho?
8. Who is Nguyen?
9. What have Loi's new friends promised him?
Activity - Write half a page on the topic “How would you feel if you were Mai, coming to Hong Kong.” Include
initial reaction to seeing the city, and how your opinion might have changed after you escorted to the warehouse.
Chapter 12
1. What does Father ask Bac si Hong? Why?
2. What does Le Hung do at the camp?
3. What is Grandmother needed to do?
4. Why are the lights never turned off?
Activity - You are Mai. Write a letter to your best friend in Vietnam and tell her about life in your new world.
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Chapter 13
1. What happened during the night?
2. What did Loi do on a regular basis? Why do you think he desired to look out the window?
3. Why does Loi return to Vietnam? What is he given for going back to Vietnam?
4. What does Loi give to Mai?
Activity - Draw a picture of what you imagine the interior of the warehouse looked like. Use a whole page to do this
and include as much detail as possible (find these details in the text).
Chapter 14
1. What does Bac Si Hong say is happening in the camp?
2. What happens to Grandmother?
3. What does Kim tell Mai's mother? Why did this happen?
4. What news does Binh give the family?
5. Why does the family need to take English classes?
6. How does Mother learn English?
7. Who does the family meet unexpectedly on the bus? What does she say happened to her?
8. 'but not so small that we would ever forget it' - Why will Mai never forget what happened to her?
Activity - Mai and her family found freedom in their lives because they did something very difficult and left their
home in search of a new start. How can new starts be difficult? Your response should be at least half a page.