9. The poor child was tickled within an inch of saying "Uncle Sam" by a man with an industrial-sized feather duster.

Ans.

The poor child was tickled within an inch of saying "Uncle Sam" by a man with an industrial-sized feather duster.

Here the passive may be warranted if the author wishes to keep the focus on the fact that the "poor" child is a victim.

However, if such an emphasis is not desired, the active voice construction could be written as follows:

A man with an industrial-sized feather duster tickled the poor child within an inch of saying "Uncle Sam."