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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 Bryson say the reason might be for being bewildered with modern television?

2. How did Bryson describe his first run on a snowmobile?

3. When looking for a place to live in the United States, what was the only thing Bryson liked about Adams, Massachusetts?

4. What does Bryson find the most "mind-numbing" feature of modern television?

5. In "On Losing a Son," why does Bryson decide to play baseball with his youngest child?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. "The Best American Holiday," Bryson explains why he loves Thanksgiving so much. List three things that he enthuses about the holiday.

4. 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.

5. 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?

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

7. Bryson looks at obesity in "The Fat of the Land." Name three statistics he mentions in relation to obesity.

8. "Book Tours", Bryson talks about his fondness for book tours. Why does he like them?

9. "Highway Diversions" is Bryson's look at highway travel, which he says is very dull. How does he compare modern highway travel to the highway travel of his youth?

10. In "Shopping Madness," Bryson says there is a discipline called "retail anthropology." What is it ? What are some of the things it studies?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Conflict is a common element of writing, in both fiction and nonfiction. Why is conflict so often used in narratives? How can it help add interest to a narrative? Give four examples where conflict in "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" occurs and how it helps explain the dynamics of Bill's return and his reactions to 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

Tone refers to the attitude of the narrator in a work. As the narrator of "I'm a Stranger Here Myself," what is the author's tone at different stages of the book? Explain the tone by using examples from the following events:

1) When Bryson first returns to America.

2) When he is frustrated with some of the challenges he faces in America.

3) When his son goes off to college.

4) When he is celebrating holidays in the United States.

(see the answer keys)

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