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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 did Bryson and his buddies do the girlie magazine's he found in his father's closet?

2. Who was Bryson's sister?

3. Who was the friend that Bryson went on the outing with?

4. What was another fear for people in the 1950s?

5. Where did Bryson grow up?

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 was Bryson's mother's main personality quirk?

3. What other accessories did Bryson need to become the Thunderbolt Kid?

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

5. What form of exercise did Bryson's father like to practice and what was an unusual location for his exercise routine?

6. How many siblings did Bryson have?

7. Where did Bryson go with his friend's family on a summer outing and why did he not look forward to it?

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

9. What was Bryson's notion of how slowly time passed for kids?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Create a "character" sketch of the city of Des Moines. 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 Des Moines? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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