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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When looking for a place to live in the United States, what was the only thing Bryson liked about Adams, Massachusetts?
(a) The library.
(b) All the houses were built before 1950.
(c) It had a wonderful old-fashioned diner.
(d) The people there.

2. What animal got trapped in the Bryson house soon after the family moved in?
(a) A rat.
(b) A skunk.
(c) The neighbor's cat.
(d) A squirrel.

3. What is Bryson's opinion of book tours?
(a) They are a waste of time.
(b) They are very educational.
(c) They are boring.
(d) They are kind of fun.

4. Bryson and his wife see their son off to a university. Where is the university?
(a) California.
(b) Ohio.
(c) North Carolina.
(d) Canada.

5. Which American tourist attraction does Bryson describe as a "Total Indoor Environment"?
(a) Las Vegas.
(b) Opryland.
(c) Yellowstone Park.
(d) Disney World.

6. According to Bryson, what does the Travel Industry Association of America say about shopping?
(a) Americans should shop more, not less.
(b) Without it, the American economy would crash.
(c) It is the number one holiday activity of Americans.
(d) The Grand Canyon needs a mall.

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

8. Why does Bryson have to buy a whole new computer and fax system when he returns to the United States?
(a) His kids were tired of using the family's 1980s model.
(b) All his electronics got lost on the way.
(c) He'd never owned a computer but now needed one for work.
(d) The British have a different electrical system.

9. What house feature does Bryson miss from his childhood?
(a) The spare bedroom.
(b) The screened porch.
(c) The back shed.
(d) The out house.

10. When Bryson takes his family to one of the last drive-ins in the area, what is the experience like?
(a) The kids hated it, the adults loved it.
(b) It was amazing.
(c) Not fun at all.
(d) The audio had improved greatly since the 1970s.

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

12. According to Bryson, which of his sons might one day become a libel lawyer?
(a) Tim.
(b) Joey.
(c) Jimmy.
(d) Tommy.

13. According to Bryson, which man from his childhood state deserves more credit in American history?
(a) Washington Carver.
(b) Herbert Hoover.
(c) Mark Twain.
(d) Adlai Stevenson.

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

15. What was Bryson disappointed about on his book tours?
(a) Hotel room service.
(b) That he had to sign so many books.
(c) Interviewers who knew nothing about his book.
(d) The waiting in stores for people to show up.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why was Bryson unhappy about a flight he and his family took from Minneapolis?

2. How much energy does Bryson say the average American uses compared to the average European?

3. Where does Mrs. Bryson like to go in the summer that Bill can definitely live without?

4. How many "new" consumer products does Bryson say are launched every year in the United States?

5. What does Bryson say about New England in "Fall in New England"?

(see the answer keys)

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