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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. Why did Bryson think that Sunday mornings were too long?

2. What disease was a major concern during the 1950s?

3. The hydrogen bomb could have ignited all the ____________ in the world.

4. In what year was Bryson born?

5. What super power did the Thunderbolt Kid use primarily?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What were the results on children of the U.S. bomb testings and what happened when the tests were moved underground?

3. How did the Thunderbolt Kid get his powers and what were the circumstances of the Thunderbolt Kid getting his costume?

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

5. Name some of the things that showed that life was simpler and safer in the 1950s.

6. How did Bryson describe Des Moines and the area of the city where he lived?

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

8. What particular times were especially long for kids?

9. What were some of the ways that boys could see glimpses of naked women?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Bryson had respect for all of the people in the book but do you think he likes any one of them more than the others? Who would you choose to be your new friend among the people Bryson introduced in the book. Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Why did Bryson choose to use the first person perspective for the stories? What does this point of view entail? What do you know about the characters and the plot lines that you would not know from a different point of view? What do you NOT know about the characters and plot lines based on this point of view?

(see the answer keys)

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