View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In what year was Bryson born?
(a) 1949.
(b) 1951.
(c) 1960.
(d) 1945.

2. Where did the radioactive ash from the bomb fall?
(a) Nearby islands.
(b) Pearl Harbor.
(c) Navy ships.
(d) San Francisco.

3. What could take Bryson a whole morning to do on the weekends?
(a) Sweeping the garage.
(b) Cleaning his room.
(c) Lacing his shoes properly.
(d) Mowing the lawn.

4. What was the main street of Bryson's hometown?
(a) Grand Avenue.
(b) Main Street.
(c) Commerce Street.
(d) Wayne Avenue.

5. Who led a movement in trying to identify the element in #95?
(a) Merv Griffen.
(b) Hubert Humphrey.
(c) Joseph McCarthy.
(d) George McGovern.

Short Answer Questions

1. In what ocean is the Eniwetok atoll located?

2. About what decade of American life did Bryson write in this book?

3. What did Bryson say was a myth about childhood?

4. Who was President of the United States when Bryson was born?

5. What did Bryson and his buddies do the girlie magazine's he found in his father's closet?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who was Joseph R. McCarthy and what was his role in the fear of Communism that spread across America?

2. What were some of the appliances that people in the 1950s were excited about owning?

3. What is the premise of THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE THUNDERBOLT KID?

4. Where did Bryson go with his friend's family on a summer outing and why did he not look forward to it?

5. What was the ritual Bryson had with his mother every Friday evening?

6. What form of exercise did Bryson's father like to practice and what was an unusual location for his exercise routine?

7. Describe the events at the lake and why this was one of the best days of Bryson's life?

8. What was the only real danger in town and how did the Thunderbolt Kid take care of the situation?

9. How easy was it for Bryson to find somebody to play with?

10. What importance did comic books have in the lives of Bryson and most other kids in the 1950s?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,026 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample