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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What was the "Millennium Bug" about, in regards to computers?
(a) At midnight on January 1, 2000 all computers might shut down.
(b) No royalties would be paid to computer developers after that date.
(c) It was an extremely destructive virus.
(d) It was a new very tiny computer.

2. What does Bryson find the most "mind-numbing" feature of modern television?
(a) The same shows are shown over and over.
(b) There are so many good programs and not enough time to watch them.
(c) There are too many so-called experts on too many talk shows.
(d) The commercial breaks.

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

4. What does Bryson comment on as being a strange development in the world of exercise?
(a) Actually paying large amounts to join a gym.
(b) Retired people meeting at malls to have their daily walk.
(c) That it is a multi-million dollar industry.
(d) Driving one's car to the gym

5. When Bryson had his first book published, what did his publisher send him to?
(a) A course in media training.
(b) The largest book store in New York for a book signing.
(c) A resort to recover from his first book tour.
(d) A speech coach to get rid of his accent.

6. In "Enough Already," which item comes in 18 varieties in American supermarkets?
(a) Incontinence diapers.
(b) Milk.
(c) Veggie burgers.
(d) Gum removal spray.

7. Bryson compares modern airplanes to _______________.
(a) Winged cars.
(b) Trains in the air.
(c) Winged buses.
(d) Subways above ground.

8. According to Bryson, when was the first official Thanksgiving held in the United States?
(a) In August of 1863.
(b) In October of 1640.
(c) In September of 1922.
(d) In November of 1864.

9. Bryson says there are three types of stores. The first is where you cannot get anyone to help you, and the second is full of clerks who will not leave you alone. What does he say about the third type?
(a) No matter what you ask about, they say it's in "aisle seven."
(b) All the clerks have just started working there and do not know a thing.
(c) When you ask about something, the clerk has to ask the manager, who is never around.
(d) The clerks spend all their time talking to each other.

10. How much energy does Bryson say the average American uses compared to the average European?
(a) Half as much.
(b) Three times as much.
(c) Twice as much.
(d) Just slightly more.

11. In "Drowning in Red Tape," what is Bryson frustrated about acquiring for his wife?
(a) A library card.
(b) The right to work in the US.
(c) Health insurance.
(d) Legal status in America.

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

13. What does Bryson fondly remember about highway travel when he was a boy?
(a) The lack of transport trucks.
(b) The scenery.
(c) The billboards.
(d) The rest stops.

14. Which decade saw the idea of the drive-in really take off?
(a) The 1930s.
(b) The 1960s.
(c) The 1940s.
(d) The 1950s.

15. In "The Waste Generation," what does Bryson think is getting worse in the United States, compared to his youth?
(a) Pollution.
(b) Global warming.
(c) Poverty.
(d) Crime.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Bryson, which man from his childhood state deserves more credit in American history?

2. When looking for a place to live in the United States, what was the only thing Bryson liked about Adams, Massachusetts?

3. In "Highway Diversions," how does Bryson like to pass the time when he is driving on the highway?

4. What does Bryson like to do when he picks up his mail on winter mornings?

5. What does Bryson say about the New England summers?

(see the answer keys)

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