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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which baseball player is Sid being compared to?

2. How does Henry let off some steam while thinking about things after talking about Bruce with his father?

3. Where does Katie ask Henry to meet with her in another attempt to get the insurance policy changed?

4. What are the players complaining about as they look at their place in the league?

5. Who is Goose arguing with about the bullets in the gun at the party in Chapter 16?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where is Henry when he learns that Holly is having the baby, and how does it inspire him?

2. What influence does Red's coaching have on the team?

3. Who is Mr. Rogers and which information does he have?

4. Why is it particularly significant that Henry chews tobacco with Bruce?

5. Why is the doctor delayed at getting to Bruce in Chapter 11, and how does Henry find out that Horse also knows about Bruce's condition?

6. How does Dutch finally discover the truth about Bruce's condition in Chapter 14?

7. How does Goose find out about Bruce's illness?

8. Which actions does Dutch take in an attempt to fix some of the Mammoth's problems?

9. Which reasons does Henry have for rejecting Katie's offer again, and what causes the detectives to visit Henry's room later at a celebration?

10. Why is Sid disappointed about the celebration from the night before in Chapter 16?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In literature, actual events are sometimes referenced in order to make the story seem more realistic.

1) Explain three examples of real events that are mentioned in the book.

2) Describe how the technical side of baseball is included in the book, and how you think baseball fans and people who do not know as much about the game would respond to it.

3) Analyze the literary reasons for real events in a fictional story.

Essay Topic 2

Bruce's illness demonstrates how a crisis can often bring out the best in even the most unlikely characters.

1) Describe the reaction of the other players on the team to Bruce's illness.

2) Explain which characters change the most and why the change could be considered surprising.

3) Analyze how a tragic situation can bring out the best in people in life.

Essay Topic 3

Explain the reasons for why the popularity of Bang the Drum Slowly has been maintained for a number of decades, how the main themes of the book can be applied to people universally, and the effect that the book might have had on the game of baseball.

(see the answer keys)

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