Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Azizyia Education Office

Ministry of Education Resalet Al-Huda International Schools

Private Education Office Elementary, Mid & High

worksheets from Mom & Me & Mom" (with "

“Learning to Love My Mother")
English Grade 7 Second Quarter First semester

Grade 7

First Quarter
Academic Year 2020-2021
: Name …………………………………………
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: Grade …………………………………………
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Ministry of Education Resalet Al-Huda International Schools
Private Education Office Elementary, Mid & High

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Summary
From Mom & Me & Mom
In this excerpt from her memoir Mom & Me & Mom, a nervous thirteen-year-old Maya
Angelou travels to San Francisco with her grandmother. She has come to live with the
mother she has never known. Maya has lived her whole life with her grandmother
in rural Arkansas. Her mother loves jazz and looks like a movie star. Maya finds it
impossible to call her “Mother,” and calls her “Lady” instead.
When Maya’s brother, Bailey, arrives, he seems to forget that their mother abandoned
them. He greets her at the railroad station as if he were her long-lost son. Maya feels
betrayed and alone, and wants to go back to Arkansas. In the car to her mother’s
house, however, a childish gesture of affection from Bailey seems to promise that life
in California might work out after all.

Insight
Reading this excerpt from Mom & Me & Mom will help students begin to reflect on the
complicated nature of relationships among different generations, and how the interplay
between multiple generations can ease tensions. It may be difficult to bridge the gap
between two close generations, but the space between more distant generations may
actually help.

Author
Born Marguerite Johnson, Maya Angelou (1928–2014) struggled with racism, poverty, and
ill treatment early in her life. Across her long career she was a dancer, actress, singer,
teacher, and writer. Angelou became one of the best-known African American authors in the
world, and she was an activist for women and for the African American community.
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Ministry of Education Resalet Al-Huda International Schools
Private Education Office Elementary, Mid & High

Comprehension Check

1. What was Angelou frightened of at the beginning of the story?

Maya was frightened by the idea of meeting her mother, whom she had not seen in years.

2. Why did Angelou think her grandmother had been mistaken in identifying the
woman on the train platform as her mother? Maya did not think of herself as “pretty or even
cute,” so she did not expect her mother to look like a movie star, so “beautiful and tall.”

3. What lesson does Angelou learn from her mother when she finally smiles for her?
Maya learns that being kind and charitable brings joy to both the giver and the receiver.

4.Write a summary of the excerpt from Mom & Me & Mom to confirm your
understanding of the memoir.

Summaries will vary; however, students should include the following points in their
summary:

• Maya was going to live with her mother, who she had not seen in years.
• Maya struggled with how to feel about and treat her mother.

FIRST READ: Comprehension

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

      1. At the beginning of the selection from Mom & Me & Mom, why is Maya frightened?
a. She is traveling on a train for the first time.
b. She does not want to meet her mother, who abandoned her.
c. She is traveling to a large city that she has never visited before.
d. She does not want to be with her grandmother, whom she dislikes.

      2. In the selection from Mom & Me & Mom, Maya begins to get to know her mother. Which of the
following is the most important lesson Maya learns from her mother at this time?
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Ministry of Education Resalet Al-Huda International Schools
Private Education Office Elementary, Mid & High

a. She learns that people can never change their ways.

b. She learns that her mother will always love Bailey more.
c. She learns that being kind to other people can be very satisfying.
d. She learns that dancing and singing to music can make you happy.

     3. In the selection from Mom & Me & Mom, why is Maya upset by Bailey’s reaction to meeting their
mother?
a. She feels that he is behaving rudely toward their mother.
b. She doubts that he can learn to love and understand their mother.
c. She fears that he will ignore her because of his devotion to their mother.
d. She believes that he will anger their mother and that they will be sent
away.

      4. Toward the end of the selection from Mom & Me & Mom, why does Maya announce that she may go
back to Arkansas with Momma?
a. She wants everyone to understand that she dislikes her mother.
b. She wants to hurt Bailey for his enthusiasm about being with their
mother.
c. She hopes that Momma finally will kiss her for saying something so
supportive.
d. She hopes that Bailey will say the same thing and that they both can leave
California.

      5. Which statement best describes Maya’s attitude toward her new life at the end of the selection from
Mom & Me & Mom?
a. She is somewhat willing to give her new family situation a chance.
b. She fears that Grandmother cannot survive in Arkansas without her.
c. She is no longer angry with her mother and hopes that she will move
them back to Arkansas.
d. She is sure that her new life in California will be much better than her
former life in Arkansas.

FIRST READ: Concept Vocabulary

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

      6. What is the most likely reaction a charitable person would have toward a person who has been rude to
him or her?
a. a feeling of forgiveness
b. a feeling of deep sadness
c. a desire to be rude in return
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Ministry of Education Resalet Al-Huda International Schools
Private Education Office Elementary, Mid & High

d. a desire to shame the rude person

      7. In which of the following circumstances is a twelve-year-old most likely to need supervision?
a. when practicing guitar
b. when playing a board game
c. when learning to dive into a pool
d. when watching sports on television

      8. If a person can correctly be called a philanthropist, which of the following must be true?
a. The person must be extremely selfish.
b. The person must want to become famous.
c. The person must disapprove of most people.
d. The person must want to help people in need.

CLOSE READ: Analyze the Text

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

9. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

      Part A In the selection from Mom & Me & Mom, what do readers learn about Maya’s mother, based
on the way she acts with Maya?
a. Maya’s mother wishes that she had Maya’s singing and dancing talents.
b. Maya’s mother hopes that Maya will accept her and eventually love her.
c. Maya’s mother fears that she will be a bad influence on her daughter.
d. Maya’s mother demands that Maya immediately accept her as a parent.

      Part B Which quotation from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
a. “Maya, you disapprove of me because I am not like your grandmother.
That’s true.”
b. “But on the other hand, I am your mother. If you can force one smile on
your face for strangers, do it for me.”
c. She kissed me on my lips and started to cry. “That’s the first time I have
seen you smile.… Mother’s beautiful daughter can smile.”
d. “Is Lady a person you might learn to like?” She waited as I thought about
it. I said, “Yes.” “Well, that’s it. I am Lady, and still your mother.”

10. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

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Ministry of Education Resalet Al-Huda International Schools
Private Education Office Elementary, Mid & High

      Part A In the selection from Mom & Me & Mom, how does Maya most clearly feel as she watches
her brother Bailey greet their mother?
a. She feels ashamed of how badly she has treated their mother.
b. She feels jealous because Bailey will now be their mother’s favorite child.
c. She feels proud of Bailey for not holding on to his anger at their mother.
d. She feels betrayed because Bailey has so easily forgiven their mother for
abandoning them.

      Part B Which quotation from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
a. Bailey descended from the train and saw me first. The smile that took over
his face made me forget all the discomfort I had felt since coming to
California.
b. His eyes found Grandmother and his smile changed to a grin, and he
waved to her.
c. He had forgotten everything, but I remembered how we felt on the few
occasions when she sent us toys. I poked the eyes out of each doll, and
Bailey took huge rocks and smashed to bits the trucks or trains that came
wrapped up in fancy paper.
d. Bailey turned back to her. He added, “Yep, I’m in California.”

     11. In this passage from Mom & Me & Mom, Maya describes a conversation she has with Grandmother
after Bailey arrives.
Before Lady and Bailey Jr. reached the car I said to Grandmother, “I want to go back home with you,
Momma.”…
“When did you make that decision?” I didn’t want to answer.
She said, “When you saw the reunion of your brother and his mother?”

What conclusion about Grandmother is most clearly supported by this passage?

a. Grandmother decides to stay in San Francisco with the reunited family.
b. Grandmother wants to get rid of Maya and her brother and go home alone.
c. Grandmother sympathizes with Maya and is willing to take her back home
with her.
d. Grandmother understands Maya’s feelings about the relationship between
her brother and mother.

     12. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

      Part A Which of the following is most clearly an important life lesson that Grandmother
demonstrates for Maya in the selection from Mom & Me & Mom?
a. All problems can be solved if a person has patience.
b. Once a person has hurt you, that person cannot be trusted again.

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Ministry of Education Resalet Al-Huda International Schools
Private Education Office Elementary, Mid & High

c. Be cautious of people who shower you with praise and affection.

d. Toleration of one another will help family members to get along.

            13. Read this sentence from Mom & Me & Mom.
I may never be known as a philanthropist, but I certainly want to be known as charitable.

Why does the author most likely use this sentence to describe herself?
a. to show that she judges other people harshly
b. to explain why she donates a lot of money to charity
c. to indicate that she tries to be a kind and forgiving person
d. to emphasize the difference between a rich and a poor person

CLOSE READ: Analyze Craft and Structure

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

           14. In the selection from Mom & Me and & Mom, the author notes, “My mother watched me
without saying much for about two weeks.” Based on this sentence, choose the character trait that best
describes Maya’s mother.
a. pushy
b. patient
c. talented
d. beautiful

     15. Read the following passage from Mom & Me & Mom.
I was afraid to let [Momma] leave me, but she said, “You are with your mother now and your brother will
be coming soon. Trust me, but more than that trust the Lord. He will look after you.”

What do readers learn about Momma, based on her words to Maya? Choose two options.
a. She is short.
b. She is cruel.
c. She is funny.
d. She is caring.
e. She is religious.
f. She is forgetful.

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT: Word Study

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

     16. What is one meaning of the Latin prefix super-?

a. under

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Ministry of Education Resalet Al-Huda International Schools
Private Education Office Elementary, Mid & High

b. above
c. toward
d. between

     17. The base word natural means “existing in nature.” Use this information and your knowledge of the
prefix super- to select the correct definition of supernatural.
a. relating to something existing near nature
b. relating to something existing within nature
c. relating to something beyond what exists in nature
d. relating to something similar to what exists in nature

Comparing Text to Media

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

     18. In the video interview “Learning to Love My Mother,” how do Maya Angelou’s feelings about her
mother differ from her feelings in the selection from Mom & Me & Mom?
a. She has learned to love and appreciate her mother’s kind nature.
b. She has forgiven her mother but still does not love or respect her.
c. She has become famous and no longer thinks much about her mother.
d. She has come to regret not leaving her mother and returning to Arkansas.
.
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19. Who is Bailey

the author
the narrator
the narrator's brother
the narrator's uncle

20. Who was Bailey staying with?

Uncle Willie
grandma
his mother
her mother
21. How was Maya traveling?
boat
car
walking
train
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Ministry of Education Resalet Al-Huda International Schools
Private Education Office Elementary, Mid & High

22. What type of text is this?

fiction
memoir
historical fiction
novel
2 23. Grandma didn't want to leave Maya without adult ____ b/c she was a 13 yrs. old girl.
parents
friends
supervision
time
24. A wealthy person that helps others
philanthropist
charitable
adult supervision
Maya Angelou
25. Who was Maya going to meet?
grandma
Bailey
Uncle Willie
Mother Annie
26. Where was the train taking the narrator?
home
Stamps, Arkansas
California
to grandmas

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Ministry of Education Resalet Al-Huda International Schools
Private Education Office Elementary, Mid & High

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