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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Bill Bryson like about his new home town?

2. What does Bill find in the bottom of his refrigerator, a left over from his junk-food shopping with his wife?

3. What does Bill discuss at the beginning of his essay on design flaws?

4. What does Bryson call the expression his wife wears when she is ready for serious gardening?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. In "The Risk Factor," how does Bryson explain that the average American is twice as likely to die accidentally as the average Briton?

2. In "How to Have Fun at Home,"which household conveniences are high on Bill's approval list? Why?

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

4. 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.

5. How does Bryson compare late television in the U.S. to late time television in Britain in his "Drug Culture"? What does he say about the American approach to over-the-counter medicine from watching commercials for these products?

6. 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?

7. Why does Bryson find going to a restaurant in the United States so difficult, as expressed in "What's Cooking"? How does he address the issue of the many varieties of food out there?

8. In "On the Hotline," how does dental floss become the topic of this essay? What is the outcome of Bryson's reading the fine print on his floss packaging?

9. What comparison does Bryson make between American baseball and English cricket in "Take Me Out to the Ballpark"?

10. Bryson relates how his attitude to the informality and familiarity in American life seemed an irritant when he returned to the United States. For Essay 19, "Number Please," relate some of the ways he has encountered this informality in America.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

An anecdote can be defined as an interesting or humorous telling of an incident. It is often used in writing. As a memoir, "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" is structured as a collection of anecdotes in essay format. The author has chosen a number of incidents relating to his return to the United States. He weaves them together into a coherent whole that results in a memoir. Define an anecdote. What characteristics does it have? How does Bryson structure his anecdotes? Citing one of his anecdotes from "I'm a Stranger Here Myself," show how he structures the beginning, middle, and ending of his anecdotes.

Essay Topic 2

What role does the Bryson family play in the memoir "I'm a Stranger Here Myself"? Are they as important to the narrative as the author and the environment? Give four examples where the other members of the family are central to the story-telling. Give four examples where the narrative is focused only on Bill and the community/the United States.

Essay Topic 3

What is "creative license?" When is it commonly used? When should it not be used? In what instances is it permissible to use in creative nonfiction? Give examples. Cite three examples from "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" where you believe creative license was used.

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