That seven-foot tall center forward is a wolf among sheep out on the basketball court" is

simile
symbol
imagery
personification
metaphor

self-monitoring is in other words holding back your emotions for the better good. usually, people who can't hold their excitement, temper, or any other emotions, need to self-monitor themselves.   lol

two factors or characteristics of a chapter that might make it difficult to read would be words i don't understand, or if i don't fully understand what's going on in the chapter. strategies i can use to get through the difficult material would be a dictionary, and re-reading previous chapters to get a better grasp of what the author is trying to say.

fond of fighting is the answer

a low four-wheeled open carriage of a kind formerly used in russia.