TEST: Ball Hawk by Joseph Bruchac

The word cryptic comes from the Greek word kryptos, meaning “hidden.” Based on this information, what does cryptic mean as it is used in paragraph 2?

• Unclear

• Secret

• Buried

• Forbidden

How does the first-person point of view affect readers’ understanding of Mitchell’s mother?

• It reveals how different people view her.

• It limits readers to Mitchell’s perceptions of her.

• It gives readers direct access to her thoughts and feelings.

• It prevents Mitchell from revealing anything about her past.

The word pathetic comes from the Greek word pathos, meaning “suffering” or “feeling.” Based on this information, what does pathetic mean as it is used in paragraph 3?

• Angry

• Empty

• Pitiful

• Strange

How does the setting of the baseball field contribute to Mitchell’s conflict in the story?

• It makes him feel insecure about his athletic abilities.

• It forces him to consider his role as the team’s center fielder.

• It upsets him to be the reason his team loses almost every game.

• It flusters him to be on the field knowing his father cannot see him play.

Based on paragraphs 19–20, what can the reader infer about Uncle Tommy?

• He likes baseball better than the other sports Mitchell plays.

• He came to the game because Mitchell asked him to.

• He is dedicated to supporting Mitchell like a parent.

• He is trying to learn more about Mitchell and his mom.

Which sentence from the story uses Mitchell’s point of view to reveal how his mother
is feeling?

• My mother had gotten it into her head that being an Indian I should of course not just play baseball but excel at it. (paragraph 6)

• But try to explain to an eager German immigrant mother about stereotyping and American Indians being used as mascots. (paragraph 7)

• My mom was smiling and nodding at me, even though she had both fists clenched around her soda can so hard that it looked like an hourglass. (paragraph 14)

• It might have been my mom who encouraged Uncle Tommy to stay around and wait for me. (paragraph 20)

What conflict does Mitchell struggle with through most of the story?

• The lack of connection to his late father

• The need to have others admire him

• The interference of his mother

• The need to be the best player

Read the sentence about the story.

It’s to bad Mitchell’s father wasn’t there to see him play that day.

How should the sentence be changed?

• Change It’s to Its

• Change to to too

• Change there to their

• No change should be made.

In which two ways does the hawk contribute to the story?

• It teaches a lesson Mitchell can apply to baseball.

• It represents the memories of Mitchell’s home run.

• It catches Mitchell’s ball during the baseball game.

• It interferes with Mitchell’s training plans.

• It shows how Mitchell learns about his roots.

What does Mitchell realize that leads to the story’s resolution?

• Baseball is important to him because it helps him make friends.

• Baseball is important to him because it connects him to his father.

• He wants to become a better baseball player to represent his culture.

• He wants to become a better baseball player to make his mom happy.