"Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers

With which of the following statements would the author of "Bad Boy" most likely agree?

• Boys should not be encouraged to play basketball or sports.

• Reading is the most interesting and rewarding interest for boys.

• Boys should be allowed to pursue whatever interests them.

• Writing and dancing are "girl" activities.

What is the most likely reason why Walter plays basketball and other sports?

• He is a naturally gifted athlete.

• All of the other neighborhood boys play sports.

• People in Walter's neighborhood look up to athletes and push boys to play sports.

• Walter wants to impress girls and playing sports gives him a way to show off to them.

Which of the following text evidence supports the previous answer?

• "I was very comfortable being a boy, but there were times when the role was uncomfortable."

• "When the girls had finished their dancing, they went through some stretching exercises."

• "They danced to music as a poem was being read."

• "I liked dancing, too, but had to pretend I didn't like it. No big deal. I was already keeping reading and writing poetry a secret; I would just add dancing."

If Rai is disgusted by a joke, then which of the following statements must be true?

• He finds the joke funny.

• He thinks the joke is dumb.

• He finds the joke unpleasant.

• He has heard the joke too often.

Which of the following best explains why Walter, the narrator of the selection, feels about books?

• Walter values books because they offer comfort and escape.

• Walter likes books because the people he respects loves them, too.

• 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.

How does Walter change and grow after the incident with the girls in the gym?

• He discovers that he has a talent for writing poetry.

• He faces up to his friends and tells them about his love of reading.

• He becomes interested in Lorelle Henry, the dancing girl from the gym.

• He decides to pursue another secret interest, despite his friends disapproval.

Which quotation from "Bad Boy" best supports the previous answer?

• "There were two categories of friends in my life: those who played ball, and everyone else."

• "Athletes were highly respected in the black community, and boys my age were encouraged to play some sport."

• "I would play basketball in the morning with the boys who were just reaching their teens, and then stoopball or punchball on the block with boys my age."

• "Being a boy meant to me that I was not particularly like girls. Most of the girls I knew couldn't play ball, and that excluded them from most of what I wanted to do with my life."

Which quotation from "Bad Boy" most clearly supports the previous answer?

• "There were two categories of friends in my life: those who played ball, and everyone else."

• "With school out, and me not having access to Ms. Conway's cache of books, I rediscovered the George Bruce Branch of the public library on 125th street. Sometimes on rainy days I would sit in the library and read."

• "That year I learned that being a boy meant I was supposed to do certain things and act a certain way. I was very comfortable being a boy, but there were times when the role was uncomfortable."

• "Then we saw that the girls were doing some kind of dance, so we imitated them, cracking ourselves up."