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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. Why does Bryson have an issue with the Internet?

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

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

4. What does Bill say about the barber in his new hometown?

5. In "Room Service," what does Bill say the Motel Inn in California is famous for?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does Bryson support his statement that summer movies "have become so dumb, so very, very dumb" (Essay "Lost at the Movies")?

3. In "Rule Number 1: Follow All Rules,"what does Bryson use as an example of a rule that must be followed in America? How does he compare the devotion to order in the U.S. and Britain?

4. 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?

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. "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?

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

8. 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?

9. 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.

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

"I'm a Stranger Here Myself" is a first person narrative, told from Bill Bryson's point-of-view. Briefly explain how the first person narrative is effective and how it is limited. Give four specific examples that show how the memoir is effectively told from Bill Bryson's point of view. How is our vicarious experience enhanced by Bryson's choice of first person?

Essay Topic 3

Define what is meant by "style" in writing. Discuss what kind of style is used in traditional nonfiction, novels, and creative nonfiction. Which style was used in the writing of "I'm a Stranger Here Myself?" Support your answer with four examples.

(see the answer keys)

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