The contender ch. 13-14

After reading chapters 13-14, complete the worksheet using the included vocabulary word bank. CHAPTER 13Alfred begins regular sparring with the other boxers. At first, he is not very good. Bud tells him he is not working his combinations. Eventually he begins to think about what he is doing, and Henry shows him what he is doing right. Alfred is surprised when Lou Epstein visits the gym to see how he is doing. Lou and Bud talk over old times, and Alfred sees Lou give money to Bud to pass along to one of Lou's old boxing friends who obviously needs the cash. Lou tells Alfred that he has gotten good reports about his work at the grocery store and that he has decided to train him to work the cash register. This decision shows that the Epsteins now trust Alfred. Alfred continues to be successful in his sparring, and Mr. Donatelli lets Alfred know that he is ready for his first fight when he tells him it is a time for a custom-made mouthpiece.CHAPTER 14The morning of Alfred’s first fight he gets to stay home from work. He doesn’t tell Aunt Pearlwhat is going on, however. Henry arrives around 10:00 and accompanies him to the gym, where they meet Mr. Donatelli. Donatelli takes them to Dr. Corey'soffice to pick up two mouthpieces for Alfred. Then they go to lunch, and Alfred has a light lunch of two hard-boiled eggs, tea, and toast. The next step in the day is to go by taxi to Spoon's apartment, where Alfred will rest before the fight. On the way over, Alfred and Henry talk about Henry’s limp, which was caused by polio. When they arrive at Spoon’s, Alfred is amazed by the number of books in the apartment. While Alfred and Henry talk, Alfred learns that the police raided the clubroom and that Henry’s dad has turned it back into a storage room. Alfred has not seen James for a long time, and his parents don’t know where he is. When Spoon and his wife, Betty, come home, they make Alfred a steak dinner. Alfred learns that Spoon is teaching and working on his master’s degree. Spoon tells him that he can finish high school in night school and that he should think about doing that. After dinner, Alfred rests until it is time to leave for the fight. Alfred’s first fight is at a small fight club for amateurs. While his is in the dressing room getting ready, Henry gives him a robe with his name on the back. Alfred is touched and gets tears in his eyes. When Alfred faces his opponent, Rivera, he starts to listen to the crowd, who calls him a coward because he is fighting the way Donatelli tells him, stick and run. He gets knocked down when he starts to listen to the crowd, but when he goes back to fighting Donatelli’s way, he ends up winning the match. In the dressing room, Donatelli is giving him some advice when Bud and Henry tell him to leave Alfred alone, that he won. Donatelli says, “It’s not enough.”