View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What are the players doing differently as a result of discovering Bruce's illness?

2. What does Bruce ask Henry to send him?

3. Who is playing Tegwar with Bruce in Chapter 13?

4. How does Holly react to Henry's idea of only pretending to change the beneficiary of Bruce's insurance?

5. Why is Dutch not at the practice in Chapter 14?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Henry describe Bruce's last hit?

2. 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?

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

4. How does Henry respond to Katie's threat and offer in Chapter 12?

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

6. What happens when Katie takes Henry, Holly, and Bruce to dinner in Chapter 10?

7. Why are the players complaining about time, and how does Bruce respond to their complaints?

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

9. What decision does Henry make about life at the end of the book?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the relevance of perception vs. reality in the book by describing the reputation of three characters, how those characters would like to be perceived, and when/if the perception of a person is important in reality.

Essay Topic 2

Harris uses various techniques in the story's narration.

1) Explain the styles of dialogue that are used and how they add to the effectiveness of the narrative and the characters.

2) Describe three examples of how Henry speaks directly to the reader as if he were not a fictional character.

3) Compare Henry's narration of certain characters with his opinion of them.

4) Analyze how the line between fiction and reality is blurred in the book and why.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 888 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample