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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. Why does Henry think it is gloomy to play in Boston?

2. How many games is the team playing in Boston in Chapter 17?

3. Besides catching, which other aspect of the game does Red teach Bruce?

4. What is Henry's response to Katie's threat in Chapter 12?

5. How does Dutch's wife learn about Bruce's condition?

Short Essay Questions

1. What causes Bruce to ask Henry to change his insurance policy?

2. Which question does Dutch repeatedly ask Bruce, and why?

3. What does Dutch do when he finally discovers Bruce's condition in Chapter 14?

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

5. What surprises does Bruce receive to celebrate his birthday?

6. What surprises the announcers during a game in Chapter 17?

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

8. When does Bruce leave the team to go back home?

9. Despite having a good season, what are some of the problems that the Mammoths are having in Chapter 9?

10. What happens after a rained out game when Bruce goes to the hospital?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Bang the Drum Slowly ends with Henry's decision to live life with new priorities.

1) Describe the changes that have taken place in Henry throughout the book.

2) Explain how Bruce has caused Henry to understand which things are really important in his life.

3) Analyze the new outlook that Henry has on life and the future.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the contrast in subject matter and tone of Henry's narrative in Chapter 1 as the main characters are introduced. Also, provide an analysis of how the serious storyline is presented through the lighter thought process of Henry.

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)

This section contains 773 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample