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

2. What February holiday does Bryson say is new to him on his return to the United States?
(a) Valentine's Day.
(b) Groundhog Day.
(c) President's Day.
(d) Family Day.

3. What movie is Bryson describing at the beginning of "The Wasteland"?
(a) Avatar.
(b) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
(c) The Brady Bunch.
(d) Magnificent Obsession.

4. In "Highway Diversions," how does Bryson like to pass the time when he is driving on the highway?
(a) By counting the red cars.
(b) By making up songs about the towns they pass.
(c) By reading the slogans on license plates.
(d) By yelling at other drivers.

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

Short Answer Questions

1. Which American tourist attraction does Bryson describe as a "Total Indoor Environment"?

2. How was the first "drive-in" movie shown in New Jersey in the 1930's?

3. Which American business name mystifies Bryson?

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

5. What does Bryson mean by the "wasteland"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Bryson relates his sad tale of trying to rent a car when he went to the Boston airport in "How to Rent a Car." What are some of the problems he encountered?

2. In "In Praise of Diners," Bryson talks about an old American institution that has almost disappeared, the diner restaurant. List at least three things he tells the readers about diners.

3. In "On Losing a Son," what does Bryson say his main activities are as a father sending his son off to college?

4. Find three examples from "The Great Indoors" that Bryson cites as reasons he thinks Americans spend too much time indoors.

5. "Your Tax Form Explained", what does Bryson satirize? Give three examples of how he does this.

6. In "The Wasteland," what is Bryson criticizing? Name three points of his criticism.

7. In "Deck the Halls," Bryson tells his readers that he is not looking forward to Christmas decorating. Why is this?

8. In "Enough Already," Bryson says there is just too much of everything in America (except time, money, good plumbers, and polite people). What examples does he give to back this up? Why does he think it is not a good thing?

9. In "Life's Mysteries," Bryson lists a very large number of things that he doesn't understand. What are four of these things?

10. In "The Flying Nightmare," Bryson compares modern air travel with air travel from his youth in the 1960s and 70s. List three points he makes.

(see the answer keys)

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