Read the paragraphs below and answer the questions.
Mi Nuong’s father was an influential Lord. He ruled all of the lands of the Red River, and his palace stood tall and majestic on its broad, sloping banks. Yet, Mi Nuong was forlorn and melancholy. Her father kept her locked away at the top of the palace’s tallest tower in order to keep her out of harm’s way. Mi Nuong felt trapped; the only company she had was her maid, and her daily routine was always the same. Every day, she would sit by her window embroidering and look out, gazing sorrowfully down at the waters rushing past far below. Often, she dreamed of being carried away in the fast-flowing rapids to distant lands.
1. Why was Mi Nuong lonely?
2. What does Mi Nuong usually do to pass the time in her tower?
3. What is Mi Nuong’s father like?
4. Which one of these things isn’t mentioned in the story?
One morning, Mi Nuong heard music floating through her open window. She hurried over to see where the sound was coming from. There, on the river below, was a little golden fishing boat. Mi Nuong heard the music rise up from the boat and caught snatches of a song: “My love is like a blossom in the breeze. My love is like a moonbeam on the waves.”
5. How does the music make Mi Nuong feel?
6. Why was the man on the boat?
7. Why does Mi Nuong lean as far out of the window as she can?
8. Which word best describes how Mi Nuong feels at the end of the passage?
The music was captivating, drawing Mi Nuong like a flickering candle flame draws the unwary moth. The voice was clear and sweet, and Mi Nuong leaned out as far as she could to try to catch sight of the singer. As the boat bobbed past, she glimpsed the tiny figure of a man standing on the prow with a net. A sudden glimmer of hope lit up in her heart, and she felt as if she were floating on air. Perhaps this man had come to release her from the tower. Perhaps he was a Mandarin’s son in disguise—the man she was destined to marry…
9. Which of these words is closest in meaning to the word “forlorn”?
10. What is meant by the phrase “she felt as if she was floating on air”?
11. What is meant by the phrase “the man she was destined to marry”?
12. “like a flickering candle flame draws the unwary moth.” What technique is being used here?