The Making of a Baseball Bat

33 The reader can conclude that when Hillerich first asked his father to make wood bats, Hillerich's father -

• A planned to change his business by making only wood bats

• believed metal bats would sell better than wood bats

• wanted to sell his company rather than make wood bats

• thought his company would not benefit from making wood bats

34 In paragraph 6, the details about Ted Williams’s experience with Louisville Slugger bats support the idea that —

• F professional athletes can notice slight differences in equipment

• G Louisville Sluggers are not the best bats available to professional baseball players

• H negative comments about a product can harm a company’s business

• J Louisville Sluggers are better designed today than when they were first made

35 Which sentence best states the main idea of the section titled “Old and New”?

• A They were made with any kind of wood that was available.

• B The shape of today’s baseball bats is also more regular—narrow at the handle and wide at the end.

• C Bats come in different lengths and weights.

• D Baseball bats have changed a great deal over the years.

36 What is the meaning of accustomed in paragraph 7?

• F Managed by

• G Different from

• H Changed by

• J In the habit of

37 The reader can infer that one of the main reasons the production of Louisville Sluggers began was because of Hillerich’s —

• A willingness to use his knowledge of woodworking to help someone

• B understanding of the game of baseball

• C ability to promote a product using a variety of advertising

• D experience playing baseball with a metal bat

38 Based on information in the selection, what is one similarity between Pete Browning and Honus Wagner?

• F Their success encouraged other players to use Louisville Sluggers.

• G They both ordered a wood bat that was not made correctly.

• H Their friendship with Hillerich helped improve their batting skills.

• J They both persuaded Hillerich’s father to make Louisville Sluggers.