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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where is Surfer's Paradise located?

2. What is notable about the Megascolides Australis?

3. What did Bryson agree to while having a bit too much to drink at a pub in Daly Waters?

4. How did Bryson and Sherwin get a great view of the Great Barrier Reef?

5. Bryston stated that when he leaves Australia it will almost be like Australia _____________________.

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the story of the plane called Kookaburra and its role in the search for aviation legend Charles Kingsford Smith?

2. What did Bryson note as the reason for the high amount of unique flora and fauna in Australia?

3. What commitment did Bryson make to a foreigner while drunk at a pub in Daly Waters.

4. Bryson visited Glenrowan and learned about which famous outlaw?

5. How does the reader know that Bryson had a good time with his friends Alan Howe and Carmel Egan?

6. What did Bryson at first find so bizarre about the town of Alice Springs?

7. How has the Aborigine population dwindled from the time Europeans arrived to colonize Australia?

8. For what is Alice Springs best known?

9. What did Bryson learn from a journalist about the Myall Creek incident and how it is not even noted by most people?

10. What information did Bryson provide about how Australia came to be populated?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of the most striking characteristics of Bryson's writing is his complete honesty. Explain why this is necessary to complete a book of this nature. Would a reader be able to see through fabrications and falsehoods in a book like this? Describe why this format is the perfect for Bryson's personality.

Essay Topic 2

Explain the significance of the book's title--IN A SUNBURNED COUNTRY. Why did Bryson choose this title? Is there an understood message in the title? Why was the book titled DOWN UNDER in its British release? Is there another title you can suggest that might be more appropriate?

Essay Topic 3

What is the irony of Bryon's statement that most people know shockingly little about? Do you think Bryson had hopes of changing this situation by writing about his trips to Australia? Explain.

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