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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 is the name of the first town where Bryson stopped on his train ride?

2. Who did Bryson meet up with in Melbourne?

3. How did Bryson plan to travel across the continent?

4. Bryson's favorite spots in each city he visited were museums and ____________.

5. Where did Bryson go at night to make notes about his day's activities?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. For what is Sydney's Circular Quay most famous?

4. What was Bryson's standard itinerary while visiting cities and towns?

5. Why did Bryson have a special fondness for Melbourne and what were some of the quirky things he noted about the city?

6. How did Bryson blend history and current interest in this book?

7. What is the irony of people not knowing much about Australia?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Create a "character" sketch of the city of Canberra. What personality shines through for you for this city? Did Bryson make you want to learn more and perhaps visit one day? What would you most like to see? What is the one fact or interesting feature that you can recall about Canberra? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Explain the significance of the book's title--IN A SUNBURNED COUNTRY. Why did Bryson choose this title? Is there an understood message in the title? Why was the book titled DOWN UNDER in its British release? Is there another title you can suggest that might be more appropriate?

Essay Topic 3

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.

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