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| Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. In "Consuming Pleasures," what does Bill say about shopping in America?
2. What does Bryson find amazing about the geography of the United States?
3. What does Bill say is ridiculous about a VCR?
4. What is Bill's wife's reaction to his new American haircut?
5. Why did Bill decide to write "Friendly People?"
Short Essay Questions
1. Bryson calls America "the ultimate shopping paradise" in "Consuming Pleasures." How does he support this statement?
2. How does Bryson feel about gardening? What are his feelings concerning gardening with his mate in "Gardening With My Wife"?
3. Summarize Bryson's trip to the supermarket in "Junk-Food Heaven." Include why he went shopping in the first place, what he saw at the store, and what was the ultimate outcome of that trip.
4. How does Bryson support his statement that summer movies "have become so dumb, so very, very dumb" (Essay "Lost at the Movies")?
5. 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?
6. 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?
7. 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?
8. In "A Visit to the Barbershop," how does Bryson convey that adjusting to the small town barbershop is difficult?
9. "Friendly People" begins with Mrs. Bryson telling Bill that all he did in his columns was make negative comments about the United States. He goes on to say there are a lot of things he likes about America. What are some of those things?
10. Bryson finds the lack of privacy in America to be a problem. List three examples of this problem that he cites in "Snoopers at Work."
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
What are some techniques Bill Bryson uses to make the real events of his life back in the United States come alive? Illustrate with one or two examples for each technique.
Essay Topic 2
To make memoir writing authentic, the author's personal presence must exist. Give five examples where Bill Bryson's personal presence is apparent. Choose two of the examples, and explain why you think he chose to make it so.
Essay Topic 3
Define what is meant by "style" in writing. Discuss what kind of style is used in traditional nonfiction, creative nonfiction, and novels. Which style was used in the writing of "I'm a Stranger Here Myself"? Support your answer with four examples.
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This section contains 1,424 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) |
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