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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What did Bryson say was a myth about childhood?
(a) Any Christmas gift is the best.
(b) Every day is an adventure.
(c) Time goes by fast.
(d) Every birthday is happy.

2. Who distributed fish tainted from the radioactive ash?
(a) U.S. Navy.
(b) Malaysian shrimp boats.
(c) Japanese fishermen.
(d) New England seafood companies.

3. What did Bryson's parents tell him his mother was doing when he came upon them having sex one afternoon?
(a) Testing out a new mattress.
(b) Looking for dirty socks.
(c) Changing the bedding.
(d) Checking his father's teeth.

4. What was the area set apart in the grocery where kids could read while their parents shopped?
(a) Little Shoppers.
(b) Little Library.
(c) Kiddie Corral.
(d) Tot Shop.

5. In what state did the military begin testing atomic bombs?
(a) Montana.
(b) Utah.
(c) Nevada.
(d) Arizona.

6. What became the joy of every family in the 1950s?
(a) Diners.
(b) Television.
(c) Ice cream makers.
(d) Subdivisions.

7. For what publication did Bryson's father work?
(a) The Columbus Disptach.
(b) Sporting News.
(c) The Reader's Digest.
(d) The Des Moines Register.

8. Where did Bryson get to accompany his father on business-related trips?
(a) Business openings.
(b) Major League ballgames.
(c) Museums.
(d) Printing plants.

9. What appliance was treated like a treasured guest in the Bryson household?
(a) Refrigerator.
(b) Juicer.
(c) Dryer.
(d) Electric can opener.

10. How many children under the age of 12 were living in the mid-1950s in America?
(a) 32 million.
(b) 123 million.
(c) 7 million.
(d) 903,000.

11. Where did Bryson and his mother go for pie after the movies?
(a) Frisch's.
(b) Maguire's.
(c) Toddle House.
(d) Waffle House.

12. In what ocean is the Eniwetok atoll located?
(a) Atlantic.
(b) Indian.
(c) Pacific.
(d) Arctic.

13. Where was a bigger bomb dropped on March 1, 1954?
(a) Pacific Ocean.
(b) Bikini atoll.
(c) Malaysia.
(d) Utah.

14. What unusual physical characteristic did Bryson's uncle have?
(a) A hole in his throat.
(b) One blue eye and one green eye.
(c) A peg leg.
(d) A streak of white hair in his black hair.

15. What was it about Bryson's Thunderbolt Kid outfit that caused laughter from the other kids?
(a) He wore his underpants over his jeans.
(b) He had orange wings.
(c) He didn't wear any pants.
(d) He wore black socks and sandals.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was the name of the novelty and joke store Bryson used to frequent?

2. What was the name of the store where Bryson bought penny candy?

3. What did Bryson name the green jersey with the golden thunderbolt on the chest?

4. Who did Bryson think his real father must have been?

5. Who was President of the United States when Bryson was born?

(see the answer keys)

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