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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. What is Bryson's opinion of book tours?
2. What is Bryson satirizing in "Your New Computer"?
3. What does Bryson find the most "mind-numbing" feature of modern television?
4. What surprising statistic does Bryson share about the number of lawyers in America?
5. What animal got trapped in the Bryson house soon after the family moved in?
Short Essay Questions
1. In "Ah, Summer!" what does Bryson say he likes about summers in New Hampshire? How does he compare them to summers in Iowa?
2. Bryson looks at obesity in "The Fat of the Land." Name three statistics he mentions in relation to obesity.
3. In "So Sue Me," what does Bryson say about American lawyers?
4. What does Bryson tell the reader about drive-in movies in "At the Drive-In"?
5. Find three examples from "The Great Indoors" that Bryson cites as reasons he thinks Americans spend too much time indoors.
6. 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?
7. In "The Wasteland," what is Bryson criticizing? Name three points of his criticism.
8. In "Enough Already," Bryson says there is just too much of everything in America (except time, money, good plumbers, and polite people). What examples does he give to back this up? Why does he think it is not a good thing?
9. In "In Praise of Diners," Bryson talks about an old American institution that has almost disappeared, the diner restaurant. List at least three things he tells the readers about diners.
10. "The Best American Holiday," Bryson explains why he loves Thanksgiving so much. List three things that he enthuses about the holiday.
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
The setting refers to the time and the place where a story takes place. Compare and contrast the settings of "I'm a Stranger Here Myself." How does the United States to which he returns compare to the country he left behind in the 1970's? Cite at least three examples from the book where Bryson discusses how the setting, in reference to time, has changed.
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.
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This section contains 1,394 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) |
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