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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 type of animals did Thomas Austin unleash to hunt for sport?

2. How did Bryson characterize the yuppie town of Tanunda?

3. Why did Bryson visit Melbourne the first time?

4. Who was the botanist who accompanied Lt. James Cook on one of his voyages to Australia?

5. Which of the following does Bryson spend some time discussing in the book?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Bryson spend his first day in Sydney?

2. What is the most recognizable feature in Sydney and what was Bryson's personal favorite?

3. What was the focus of Bryson's driving trip along the Boomerang Coast?

4. What two venues had Bryson wanted to visit in Adelaide but could not?

5. Why did Bryson find the sport of cricket somewhat amusing?

6. Explain why the 1950s saw a boom in Australia's population.

7. What self deprecating behavior of Adelaide residents bothered Bryson?

8. What was Bryson's former experience in Australia and what were his plans for this trip?

9. How did Canberra come to be the capital of Australia?

10. How did Bryson find Adelaide to be in spite of what the locals said about it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Create a character study of Bill Bryson. What are his physical characteristics? What are his personality traits? What are his motivations? What are his fears? What else can you say about Bryson?

Essay Topic 2

What are Bryson's reasons for embarking on his trips to Australia? What did he hope to find that he did not see in a similar trip taken before? What were Bryson's greatest thrills about the trip? Were there any major disappointments? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Bryson is masterful at crafting literary descriptions for his readers. Choose a paragraph from the book which you find especially descriptive. How do you think Bryson was able to craft it the way he did? What is so appealing to you about the passage? Explain.

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This section contains 842 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample