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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 word associated with Christmas does Bryson wonder about at the beginning of "The Mysteries of Christmas"?

2. When Bryson takes his family to one of the last drive-ins in the area, what is the experience like?

3. What was Bryson disappointed about on his book tours?

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

5. What does Bryson say about the long trip and back to take his son to college?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does Bryson tell the reader about drive-in movies in "At the Drive-In"?

3. In "So Sue Me," what does Bryson say about American lawyers?

4. 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?

5. 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?

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Essay Topic 2

At the beginning of the memoir, in the Introduction and Anecdote 1 "Coming Home," Bill Bryson explains how he came to write the anecdotes that comprise "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" and the process by which he relocated his family in the United States. Define the component of the literary element of plot known as "exposition." What purpose does it serve in writing? Give four examples of Bryson's use of exposition in the Introduction and in Anecdote 1 that enhance the memoir.

Essay Topic 3

What is satire? What is the point of satire and how should it be used? Give three examples of satirical writing that Bryson includes in his book.

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