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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why is Roy so good at baseball?
(a) Sam drills him daily in how to play well.
(b) He has trained with "The Whammer."
(c) He had practiced with his father when he was young.
(d) He has natural talent in the sport.

2. How does Roy feel about Bump Bailey?
(a) He dislikes him because of his bad jokes and his lack of respect for the team or the coach.
(b) He is jealous of Bump's relationship with the coach.
(c) He tries to teach Bump some techniques to help the team.
(d) He looks up to him as a mentor, since both play the outfield.

3. What is in the bassoon case that Roy carries on the train?
(a) A rifle.
(b) A bassoon.
(c) His bat.
(d) A set of tools.

4. Who are the two friends that Roy makes with the Knights?
(a) Harriet and Memo.
(b) The Judge and Bump Bailey.
(c) Pop Fisher and Red Blow.
(d) Fowler and Eddie.

5. What major item do the fans give Roy?
(a) A whole wardrobe of clothes because he dresses so poorly.
(b) A white Mercedes-Benz.
(c) A new home.
(d) A new bat to replace his lost one.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Harriet respond when Roy says he wants to be the best baseball player ever?

2. What do the fans do when they find out Roy didn't get a raise?

3. What does Memo's reaction to Bump's death tell the reader, given her lack of relationship with him?

4. What happens to Roy after Bump gets injured and dies?

5. Why does Pop dislike Bump Bailey?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Roy ended up in the hospital from overeating, what did the doctor tell him about his career in baseball?

2. Discuss the irony that Malamud uses in naming the characters Goodwill Banner and Max Mercy.

3. What does Iris say about Roy's obligation to young boys and why he has that obligation?

4. Discuss the reaction of the fans when The Judge refuses to give Roy a raise. What do they do?

5. What two things did Sam do that showed how much he cared for Roy?

6. Sam is on the scene as a character for a very short time. What purpose does he serve as a character?

7. Explain how Roy feels about Memo, Bump's girlfriend.

8. When Memo comes to Roy's room she talks to him about money and how much it costs to start a good business. Why did she do that, and what else does she tell him?

9. What did the new young pitcher for the Pirates have in common with Roy, and how was his dream different?

10. What does Roy do in the night after they lose the pennant game?

(see the answer keys)

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