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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. How many "new" consumer products does Bryson say are launched every year in the United States?
(a) 25,000.
(b) 2 million.
(c) 2,000.
(d) 250,000.

2. In the twenty years since Bryson left the United States, by how much have car numbers, roads, and mileage increased?
(a) By half.
(b) By 10%.
(c) By two times.
(d) By 100%.

3. According to Bill, what is the outstanding quality of Americans?
(a) Their friendliness.
(b) Their ambition.
(c) Their business sense.
(d) Their sense of humor.

4. Why was Bryson unhappy about a flight he and his family took from Minneapolis?
(a) The family was scattered all over the plane.
(b) They didn't get fed for six hours.
(c) They couldn't take their cat with them.
(d) The flight attendants couldn't understand Mrs. Bryson's English.

5. What does Bill say it would take over 31,000 years to do?
(a) Make the tax system fair.
(b) Count a trillion dollars.
(c) Pay off the national debt.
(d) Travel to Mars and back.

Short Answer Questions

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

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

3. According to Bryson, what problem does he have with relating to New Englanders?

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

5. How does Bryson begin "Tales of the North Woods?"

(see the answer key)

This section contains 320 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample