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

2. What is the name of the railroad Bryson took to travel across the continent?

3. What museum did Carmel take Bryson to visit?

4. What has Bryson not seen yet in Australia?

5. The devastation of vegetation by Austin's rabbits was followed by ________________.

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What fun did Bryson have with the world's biggest lobster?

3. What did early European explorers think Australia was when they saw it or landed on it?

4. Who was James Cook and when did he set foot in Australia?

5. What is the nature and tone of Bryson's writing about his experiences in Australia?

6. What makes Australia one of the world's most unique places?

7. How did Bryson and Hart travel through the desert and what historical thoughts did Bryson provide the reader during this time?

8. To what city had Melbourne lost ranking and commercial success?

9. On what did Bryson tend to focus on while walking through Sydney and Canberra?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of the most striking characteristics of Bryson's writing is his complete honesty. Explain why this is necessary to complete a book of this nature. Would a reader be able to see through fabrications and falsehoods in a book like this? Describe why this format is the perfect for Bryson's personality.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 850 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample