LESSON 6: "The Boy Who Saved Baseball"

What is theme?

• The feeling that the author conveys through the characters

• The main message in the text

A metaphor is...

• comparing two unlike things using like or as

• comparing two things that are the same

• comparing two unlike things not using like or as

How does Tom feel right after the team finishes practice?

• He is still unsure of the team's abilities.

• He thinks the team has a chance of winning.

• He is overcome by the pressure of all the reporters.

Read this sentence carefully:

Images of newscasters, landowners, outsiders, and locals who came to root or gloat, hate or berate, filled the movie screen of his mind.

By comparing Tom's mind to a movie screen, the author is saying that...

• Tom's mind is a blank.

• Tom is replaying all of the events of the day in his mind.

• Tom is trying to write his own screenplay.

Why does the author compare the team to a caterpillar?

• To show that the team goes through a transformation much as a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly

• To show that the team members just want to fly away at this point

• To show how slowly the team moves about the field

Why does the author write that the team was cocooned for days in the school library.

• To help the reader appreciate the beauty of a butterfly

• To show that the team did not like to practice very much

• To show that the team spent a lot of time practicing together in tight, close quarters

Tom's feelings change after Alabaster Jones confronts him in the dugout because he starts to worry about...

• the effects his actions will have on his family.

• what will occur if he happens to play in the game.

"A lot of people are afraid of what might happen tomorrow. But we can't be. Then, whatever happens will turn out okay."

How does this speech by Rachel change the way Tom feels?

• It helps him see that fear makes him a better player.

• It makes him feel empowered and that he can't let his fears affect how he plays.

The conflict that Tom faces in this passage is that if his team wins the game tomorrow,

• his dream of becoming a famous writer will be finished.

• his friends on the opposing team will never speak to him again.

• his parents might lose their jobs and his family could lose their home.

Which of the following is the most likely reason readers might relate to Tom?

• Many people have coaches who are also Major League baseball players.

• Many people are afraid of major challenges in their lives.

• Everyone likes the game of baseball.