Bad Boy

At what stage of life is Walter, the narrator, when the events of the selection from Bad Boy take place?

• small child

• grade schooler

• teenager

• young adult

In the selection from Bad Boy, why does Walter feel a connection to the children he sees on the trolley?

• The children appear to Walter as if they, too, are trying to fit in with their friends.

• The children are from Walter’s neighborhood and share similar struggles.

• The children are on their way to the library, a place Walter loves.

• The children, like Walter, are readers who are carrying books.

In the selection from Bad Boy, what happens when Walter and his friends run into a group of girls exercising in the gym?

• The boys make fun of the girls for not being interested in basketball.

• The girls and boys dance together while Walter reads a poem aloud.

• The girls challenge the boys to do their exercises, but the boys cannot.

• The boys invite the girls to play basketball, but the girls do dancing exercises instead.

According to the selection from Bad Boy, what is Walter led to believe that boys should not do? Choose three options.

• dance

• exercise

• read books

• write poems

• follow hockey

Which of the following statements best explains how Walter, the narrator of the selection from Bad Boy, feels about books?

• Walter values books because they provide comfort and escape.

• Walter is interested in books because the people he respects read them.

• Walter is passionate about books and will fight the older boys over them.

• Walter likes books but prefers “boy” activities, such as basketball and punchball.

If it is correct to say that Teresa is disgusted by a joke, then which of the following statements must be true? Base your answer on the meaning of disgusted.

• She finds the joke funny.

• She thinks the joke is stupid.

• She finds the joke unpleasant.

• She has heard the joke too often.

If Marla can correctly be described as desperate for an afternoon nap, which of the following must be true?

• She refuses to take an afternoon nap.

• She is too busy for an afternoon nap.

• She greatly desires to take an afternoon nap.

• She is about to wake up from an afternoon nap.

What is the most likely meaning of respected as it is used in the following sentence?

"Mrs. Evans is the most respected dance teacher in our town."

• feared

• graceful

• admired

• expensive

The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

Part A In the selection from Bad Boy, why does Walter carry his books home from the library in a brown paper bag?

• He is embarrassed to be reading books that are too young for him.

• He does not want the neighborhood boys to see that he likes reading.

• He is unable to afford his own books, so the librarians give him bags of library books to take home.

• He does not want Dorothy to find any of his books because she would probably take them away from him.

Part A answer: Walter carries his books home in a brown paper bag because he does not want the neighborhood boys to see that he likes reading.

Part B Which quotation from Bad Boy best supports the answer to Part A?

• Sometimes on rainy days I would sit in the library and read. The librarians always suggested books that were too young for me, but I still went on a regular basis.

• I could never have afforded to buy the books and was pleased to have the library with its free supply.

• Dorothy Dodson, daughter of the Wicked Witch, read books, and I knew she did, but she couldn’t stand me and was more than happy to tell me so on a number of occasions.

• When I brought a book home from the library, I would sometimes run into older kids who would tease me about my reading.