First They Killed My Father

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-2

Reading Check

1. How old is Loung at the beginning of her memoir?

2. What vice does Pa struggle with and ultimately overcome?

3. To whom does the word “Barang” refer?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Ma respond to Loung’s behavior in the noodle shop, and what does this behavior show about Loung as a character?

2. What is the Ung family’s economic status, and what details support this?

Paired Resource

“Death of Pol Pot: Pol Pot, Brutal Dictator Who Forced Cambodians to Killing Fields, Dies at 73”

• This obituary was published in The New York Times in 1998 after Pol Pot’s death from heart failure. It covers his background as a leader of the Khmer Rouge as well as his role in the genocide.
• This resource connects to the theme of How the Government Justifies Genocide.
• How does Pol Pot’s obituary provide helpful background information and context for the Cambodian genocide as shown through Ung’s memoir? What does his level of personal accountability show about him and authoritarian figures?