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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. After living in Britain for twenty years, what does Bill find refreshingly different about the United States?
(a) The informality.
(b) The government.
(c) The fashions.
(d) The weather.

2. Where do Bill and his wife go to celebrate their anniversary?
(a) To an expensive inn in Massachusetts.
(b) To a fancy restaurant in Vermont.
(c) To a ski resort in Quebec.
(d) To a spa in Connecticut.

3. Why did Bill decide to write "Friendly People?"
(a) Because he thought it would be funny.
(b) Because he had to make good on a bet.
(c) Because his wife told him all he did was complain in his columns.
(d) Because his editor wanted him to.

4. How does Bill feel when he goes to a barbershop?
(a) He can get caught up on his reading.
(b) Like he is going to empty his wallet.
(c) Happy tot talk to someone with sense.
(d) Helpless and insecure.

5. Bryson likes his privacy. Where does he especially find there is a lack of privacy in America?
(a) On airplanes.
(b) In telephone booths.
(c) In public washrooms.
(d) In clothing store changing rooms.

6. How does Bill know so much about motels?
(a) He used to own one.
(b) He has stayed at thousands.
(c) He is reading a book called "The Motel in America."
(d) He belongs to a motel club.

7. What American kitchen convenience does Bill think is just wonderful?
(a) The microwave.
(b) The garbage disposal.
(c) The dishwasher.
(d) The blender.

8. What does Bill say about American sports teams that would never happen in Britain?
(a) The teams have cheerleaders.
(b) The players are all polite.
(c) The players play for small salaries.
(d) A team can move its franchise to a new city.

9. Bill is amazed that thousands of Americans end up in the emergency rooms every year from using certain things. What are they?
(a) Snow blowers.
(b) Common household items.
(c) Guns.
(d) Cars.

10. What does Bryson think is sad about how things are changing in modern Vermont?
(a) There are too many Canadians there.
(b) The weather is warming up.
(c) Pollution is increasing.
(d) More people now are born outside the state.

11. What does Bill tell the reader about crime in New Hampshire?
(a) There is no death penalty.
(b) Serious crime is on the increase.
(c) There were only four murders in the last reporting year.
(d) Petty crime is a problem in the rural areas.

12. What do U.S. post offices do once a year that Bill likes a lot?
(a) Give customers free donuts, pastries, and coffee.
(b) Give out door prizes.
(c) Have a charity softball game.
(d) Give customers free stamps.

13. What does Bill say is a strange feature of their car?
(a) It dispenses ice.
(b) It has no cup holders.
(c) There is an indentation on the dashboard with no obvious use.
(d) The steering wheel is heated.

14. What does Bill say about the way people of the world eat?
(a) There are thousands of foods but only a few are eaten a lot.
(b) We eat a huge variety of things.
(c) Most people eat too much.
(d) Most people don't eat enough.

15. What does Bill say about the barber in his new hometown?
(a) He could talk the hind leg off a donkey.
(b) He reads more books than Bill does.
(c) He is fresh out of barber school and eager to try new things.
(d) He only seems to know hairstyles from the 1950's.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is one complaint Bryson has about the small towns around him?

2. In "Design Flaws," what does Bill complain about, in regards to his computer?

3. In "Room Service," what does Bill say the Motel Inn in California is famous for?

4. Why does Bill prefer the post offices in the U.S. to the ones in Britain?

5. In "Consuming Pleasures," what does Bill say about shopping in America?

(see the answer keys)

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