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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which characters accompany Willie when he goes to speak to Mr. Samson?
(a) Eddie Single and Petey Shropshire.
(b) Johnny Rivers and Max Craig.
(c) Petey Shropshire and Jenny Blackburn.
(d) Jenny Blackburn and Coach Ivy.

2. What is special about this trip to Salmon Lake?
(a) It is Mrs. Weaver's first trip to the lake since the death of Willie's sister.
(b) It is the last weekend of the summer that they will be able to get to the lake.
(c) They are celebrating Willie's birthday.
(d) It is the first trip out in Big Will's new boat.

3. Why does Willie have trouble on the racquetball court?
(a) His father keeps hitting the ball too far away from him.
(b) He feels like too many people are watching him.
(c) He cannot control his body or his reaction time.
(d) He cannot see the ball as it comes toward him.

4. Why does Willie wish he had known how to perform CPR when he was twelve?
(a) He could have been a lifeguard at the pool.
(b) He could have saved his sister.
(c) Maybe he would not be afraid of the water.
(d) He would be much more confident about performing the procedure if he had those years of practice.

5. What keeps Willie from acting like a cocky kid?
(a) Willie does not realize how good he is.
(b) Wilie's father would not allow it.
(c) Willie's mother has taught him to be gracious and grateful.
(d) Willie's teammates are just as talented as he is.

6. Why does Willie continue to carry his cane with him?
(a) It is important to him because his friends had it made special for him.
(b) It has become an accessory that he brings with him out of habit.
(c) He carries it because it makes him feel stronger.
(d) He still needs it sometimes when he has been on his feet for a while.

7. At what point did Willie's mother stop fishing with them?
(a) When Willie's sister was born.
(b) After Willie was born.
(c) After the death of Willie's sister.
(d) When Willie became a teenager.

8. Why does Willie linger in the locker room after Jenny's basketball game?
(a) He is stalling because he does not want to have to go out and congratulate Jenny.
(b) Being in the locker room makes Willie feel close to a sport that he loves.
(c) The girls' celebration after the game left a huge mess in the locker room.
(d) He is waiting for the crowd to leave so that no one will see him leave.

9. Why do Willie and his father NOT grab the fish that they see in the water hole?
(a) They know that Mrs. Weaver would not approve.
(b) Neither of them likes the taste of fish.
(c) They do not have fishing poles, and Mr. Weaver believes in a fair fight.
(d) They have no way to carry the fish back home with them.

10. How does the Crazy Horse Electric game end?
(a) Sal Whitworth hits a long fly ball, but Petey Shropshire catches it at the fence.
(b) Willie catches a line drive and throws the ball to the first baseman for a double play.
(c) Sal Whitworth pops the ball up, and Johnny Rivers catches it for the last out.
(d) Willie strikes Sal Whitworth out.

11. What excuse does Big Will give to explain why he pushes Willie so hard?
(a) He does not want to be embarrassed of Willie every time they go out in public.
(b) He is afraid that if he does not push Willie, he will just hide out.
(c) He believes that, deep down, Willie appreciates being pushed so hard.
(d) He believes that if Willie works hard, he can be a sports hero again.

12. What does Johnny say that finally causes Sal Whitworth to lose his composure?
(a) Johnny makes a comment about Sal's mother.
(b) Johnny makes a comment about Sal's big nose.
(c) Johnny makes a comment about Sal's sister.
(d) Johnny makes a comment about Sal's struggle with dyslexia.

13. Why do the teachers at school want to put Willie in the Special Ed classes?
(a) They think that something is wrong with his brain because he speaks so slowly.
(b) They are tired of having to help him so much in the regular classes.
(c) They want to protect him from the teasing that he is experiencing in the other classes.
(d) They have tested his IQ and discovered that he is not as smart as he was before the accident.

14. How does Petey Shropshire manage to get on base as often as he does?
(a) He is small and crouches down so that his strike zone is small, so pitchers walk him.
(b) He is not very powerful, but he is able to hit the ball into the gaps between fielders.
(c) He irritates the pitchers until they hit him with a pitch.
(d) He is a powerful hitter with a high batting average.

15. Who was the first to find Willie's sister when she died?
(a) Mrs. Weaver.
(b) Mr. Weaver.
(c) The neighbor, Mrs. Burke.
(d) Willie.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where has Willie found the money to fund his trip?

2. Why does Willie not want Jenny Blackburn to call him a baseball hero?

3. What does Willie leave behind in the snow when he leaves school?

4. Why does Willie's mom warn him about "fast things"?

5. What observation does Jenny make about Willie's parents?

(see the answer keys)

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