Decide how far along the plot pyramid the novel has progressed. For each plot stage that has already occurred—or already begun to occur—list the details that best represent that stage. Don’t forget to include exposition details, such as those related to the setting and the characters. When you add details that represent the novel’s rising action, list events in the order they occur—with the most recent events closest to the top of the pyramid. Finally, make a prediction: What event could become the novel’s climax?

Read the excerpt from "mother tongue." lately, i’ve been giving more thought to the kind of english my mother speaks. like others, i have described it to people as “broken” or “fractured” english. but i wince when i say that. it has always bothered me that i can think of no other way to describe it other than “broken,” as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness and soundness. what best supports the inference that tan believes nonstandard english is no less valid than standard english? tan spends a lot of time thinking about her mother’s “fractured” english. tan has trouble thinking of descriptive words when she is writing. tan’s american education makes it difficult for her to understand her mother. tan winces when she describes her mother’s english as “broken.”