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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 did Bryson meet up with in Melbourne?

2. What did Captain Phillip establish in Circular Quay?

3. How many cats were said to be roaming Australia at the time Bryson wrote this book?

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

5. Early European explorers thought Australia was the size of __________________.

Short Essay Questions

1. What man was unwittingly responsible for the barren land surrounding the town of Hay?

2. What national tragedy and embarrassment occurred at Cheviot Beach in 1967?

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

4. Describe Bryson's trip east from Adelaide to Melbourne.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain some of the examples of regionalism found in the book. Can regionalism include more than accents and food? What else encompasses the culture and personality of a region? What are the major differences Bryson found as he traveled from place to place?

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 981 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample