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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. Why doesn't Bryson like gardening with his wife?
(a) She screams if she sees any insects.
(b) She is English and thus an expert gardener.
(c) She expects him to garden for hours at a time.
(d) He has to do all the work.

2. In "A Slight Inconvenience," what does Bryson say about drive-through windows in restaurants?
(a) They save people a lot of time.
(b) They are inefficient.
(c) They are unsanitary.
(d) That people will spend more time in line than if they went in.

3. What is Bryson's observations on the conveniences of life in America in the 1990s?
(a) They are not necessarily better, but people think they are.
(b) They are the best improvement he came home to.
(c) They need to be banned.
(d) He wishes England had more conveniences.

4. What does Bryson mean by the "wasteland"?
(a) News programming.
(b) The huge variety of television programs available.
(c) Commercials.
(d) Canadian comedy shows.

5. According to Bryson, what is the result of the "abundance of choice" in America?
(a) A simple way of life.
(b) A lot of rich business owners.
(c) A lot of happy people.
(d) A lot of time wasted.

Short Answer Questions

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

2. What does Bryson find amazing about the geography of the United States?

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

4. Bryson and his wife see their son off to a university. Where is the university?

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

(see the answer key)

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