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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 say about the Des Moines of his youth?

2. What kind of tree grew in the backyard of Bryson's grandparents' farm?

3. Who was the transfer student who was drunk often at the age of 14?

4. What game did the person in #152 introduce Bryson to?

5. What was the coldest part of Bryson's grandparents' house?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Riverview Amusement Park and why Bryson thought it was so awful.

2. Describe the situation in which Bryson realized he could not trust adults.

3. What happened to The Thunderbolt Kid's sacred jersey?

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

5. What did Bryson usually do when he spent time at his grandparents' home?

6. Where did Bryson's grandparents live and what did he love about the place?

7. What was the recovery process for Bryson's broken leg?

8. How did the Bryson family end up staying in a hotel in Harlem?

9. What did the adult Bryson recall about the Des Moines of his youth?

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

Describe the overall settings for the book. What is important about each setting as it is revealed? What are the time periods of the stories? How important are the time periods to the attitudes and issues of the people?

Essay Topic 2

Bryson wrote the book with an overall theme of a simpler life. Choose three situations from any of the stories and explain the uncomplicated life in each. How did Bryson view this simple life at the time? How did he view them as an adult?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the format of the book. How does Bryson distinguish between current activity and flashbacks to his past? What is the difference is style and tone? Are the differentiations separated visually in any way? How did this improve your reading of this book?

(see the answer keys)

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