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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Bryson say that all New Englanders do?
(a) Get up early.
(b) Smoke.
(c) Gamble.
(d) Talk a lot.

2. What does Bill find strange about some U.S. commercials?
(a) They have laugh tracks.
(b) They cannot show cigarettes.
(c) They can be 5 minutes long.
(d) They advertise personal hygiene products.

3. What does Bill hate about flying now that he is back in the U.S.?
(a) The price of tickets.
(b) The snacks are terrible.
(c) Having to show photo identification at the airport.
(d) No meals are served.

4. What does Bryson find amazing about the geography of the United States?
(a) That the United States has no Arctic region.
(b) That there is very little variety.
(c) That it is smaller than Canada.
(d) That so much of the country is empty of people.

5. What does Bill say is a strange feature of their car?
(a) It has no cup holders.
(b) The steering wheel is heated.
(c) There is an indentation on the dashboard with no obvious use.
(d) It dispenses ice.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "Why Everyone is Worried," which federal agency is not doing a very good job, according to Bryson?

2. Bryson nostalgically describes the movie theater where he grew up. Where is his home town?

3. In "The Numbers Game," what does Bill say is beyond the comprehension of everyone?

4. Bryson likes his privacy. Where does he especially find there is a lack of privacy in America?

5. What does Bill say that he has to remember about going into restaurants?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Mail Call," what points does Bryson bring up to compare American post offices and British post offices? Why does he prefer American post offices?

2. Why does Bryson hate calling the computer helpline, as he outlines in "Help!"? How does he react to hotlines in general?

3. Bryson has a nostalgic look at motels in "Room Service." How does he compare and contrast older motels with those of the mid 1990's?

4. In "Design Flaws" Bryson compares running shoes and his computer keyboard. What does he say about each one?

5. In "Coming Home" Bryson says he is "gamely assessing" the concept of not being able to go home again. What circumstances took him away from the United States in the 1970s? How did he spend the following two decades in England? What is his reaction on returning to the United States in 1996?

6. In "The Inefficiency Report," Bryson says "Our subject today is large-scale incompetence in my native land." Give some examples of what he believes are areas of incompetence in 1990s America.

7. "The Cupholder Revolution" details the proliferation of cupholders. What does Bryson have to say about them?

8. What information about household accidents in America does Bryson give the reader in "Well, Doctor. I was Just Trying to Lie Down..."? Where did he find his information?

9. In "The War on Drugs," what examples does Bryson give to prove his belief about American drug laws being unfair?

10. What does Bryson, who admits he "is no stranger to sloth," say about the walking habits of Americans in Essay 26, "Why No One Walks"?

(see the answer keys)

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