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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through The Great Indoors, Death Watch, In Praise of Diners, Shopping Madness, The Fat of the Land, Your New Computer, How to Rent a Car, The Wasteland, The Flying Nightmare and Enough Already.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Mrs. Bryson tell her husband about Maggie that cheers him up?
(a) Maggie had moved to Boston.
(b) Maggie had to have her jaw wired shut for dental work.
(c) Maggie had made herself sick on vegetarian stew.
(d) Maggie dyed her hair, and it turned green.

2. In "The Best American Holiday," what does Bryson say about his mother?
(a) She tried, but the Thanksgiving meal was always a failure.
(b) She had Thanksgiving catered.
(c) She was a great cook.
(d) Once a year, for Thanksgiving, she'd make a great meal.

3. What does Bill find in the bottom of his refrigerator, a left over from his junk-food shopping with his wife?
(a) Popsicles.
(b) Breakfast pizza.
(c) Lettuce.
(d) Toaster tarts.

4. Bryson says there are three types of stores. The first is where you cannot get anyone to help you, and the second is full of clerks who will not leave you alone. What does he say about the third type?
(a) When you ask about something, the clerk has to ask the manager, who is never around.
(b) The clerks spend all their time talking to each other.
(c) No matter what you ask about, they say it's in "aisle seven."
(d) All the clerks have just started working there and do not know a thing.

5. What word associated with Christmas does Bryson wonder about at the beginning of "The Mysteries of Christmas"?
(a) A-wassailing.
(b) Yule.
(c) Merry.
(d) Noel.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Bryson, what is the result of the "abundance of choice" in America?

2. What does Bill say is a strange feature of their car?

3. What does Bill discuss at the beginning of his essay on design flaws?

4. What does Bryson comment on as being a strange development in the world of exercise?

5. How many "new" consumer products does Bryson say are launched every year in the United States?

(see the answer key)

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