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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 say he never ultimately drove the rental car he needed at the Boston airport?

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

3. What surprising statistic does Bryson share about the number of lawyers in America?

4. What movie is Bryson describing at the beginning of "The Wasteland"?

5. In "Enough Already," which item comes in 18 varieties in American supermarkets?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Bryson titled "The Waste Generation". Give three examples of why he thinks the generation of Americans in the 1990s is a wasteful one.

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

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

6. In "Ah, Summer!" what does Bryson say he likes about summers in New Hampshire? How does he compare them to summers in Iowa?

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

8. Bryson explains the joys of living in a snowy climate in "Fun in the Snow." How does he give the reader the impression that he is not a natural athlete?

9. In "Hail to the Chief," Bryson looks at the American holiday of Presidents Day. Give three points about the day that Bryson mentions.

10. "The Myteries of Christmas" compares American Christmases and English Christmases. How does Bryson compare the two holidays?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

State the theme of "I'm a Stranger Here Myself." How is the theme of the story reflected in the conflicts and challenges Bill Bryson experiences when he returns to America? Discuss four examples from the narrative.

Essay Topic 2

Define memoir as a literary genre. What elements of the memoir are found in "I'm a Stranger Here Myself"? Briefly outline the main points of Bill Bryson's experiences as they are described in the book. Discuss why you believe they are appropriate or not as inclusions in a memoir about a man returning to his country of birth after twenty years away.

Essay Topic 3

Define "creative nonfiction" and explain how it applies to "I'm a Stranger Here Myself." Explain how the book differs from traditional nonfiction with supporting arguments. Explain how it differs from fiction with supporting arguments.

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