View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What super power did the Thunderbolt Kid use primarily?
(a) Ability to shoot lasers from his fingers.
(b) Ability to leap tall buildings.
(c) X-ray vision.
(d) Ability to fly.

2. In what unusual place did Bryson's father practice his exercise?
(a) Bathroom stalls.
(b) Airplanes.
(c) Churches.
(d) Hardware stores.

3. What was one of the few things that was really exciting for Bryson?
(a) Comic books.
(b) Going swimming.
(c) Camp outs.
(d) Drive-in movies.

4. What was the repercussion of underground bomb tests?
(a) Huge craters.
(b) Earthquakes.
(c) Destroyed phone lines.
(d) Sunken mines.

5. Why did Bryson think that Sunday mornings were too long?
(a) He waited for the TV programs to start.
(b) He wasn't allowed to sleep in.
(c) He had to go to church.
(d) He had to do his paper route.

Short Answer Questions

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

2. What word was not allowed on television in the 1950s?

3. What precaution did kids in the 1950s not have to take?

4. Who was the Thunderbolt Kid?

5. Who tasted the albino Lincoln Logs?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who was Joseph R. McCarthy and what was his role in the fear of Communism that spread across America?

2. What behaviors did teenagers exhibit in the 1950s?

3. What particular times were especially long for kids?

4. What was the only real danger in town and how did the Thunderbolt Kid take care of the situation?

5. Describe a typical experience of Bryson's family stopping to see his mother's family every time they went on vacation.

6. What was Bryson's mother's main personality quirk?

7. Describe the events at the lake and why this was one of the best days of Bryson's life?

8. What importance did comic books have in the lives of Bryson and most other kids in the 1950s?

9. Where did Bryson's father work and what were some of the perks of the job?

10. What were some of the appliances that people in the 1950s were excited about owning?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,082 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample