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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 was the happiest year on record according to the Gallup Organization?

2. What was Bill's reaction after the Cuban Missile Crisis?

3. In what year was the Cuban Missile Crisis?

4. Where did the Bryson family go in the new vehicle?

5. Where did Bryson and his friends have fun most of the year?

Short Essay Questions

1. The Iowa State Fair had many attractions but what did boys hope to see the most?

2. What did Bryson and his friends do when they went to the movie matinees?

3. What were the weather extremes in Winfield?

4. What were the circumstances when, for the second time, Bryson realized that adults could not be trusted?

5. What was the irony of sending Bryson to the cloakroom as a punishment?

6. What was Bryson's elementary school and what were some of the features that made it so nice?

7. Describe the events surrounding Bryson's finally getting into the strippers' tent at the state fair.

8. Who was Dewey and how did he impact Bryson's job?

9. What was Bryson's job as a boy and how did his absentmindedness become a liability?

10. What were some of the unpleasant issues Americans faced in 1957 even though the Gallup organization claimed it was a very happy year?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Give some examples of humor in the book. Do you think Bryson appreciates slapstick humor or wit of a more sophisticated nature or both? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Create a character study of Bryson's parents. What were their physical characteristics? What were their motivations? What were their fears? What were their dreams? What else can you say about Bryson's parents?

Essay Topic 3

Bryson is masterful at crafting literary descriptions for his readers. Choose a paragraph from the book which you find especially descriptive. How do you think Bryson was able to craft it the way he did? What is so appealing to you about the passage? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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