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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 Bill's reaction after the Cuban Missile Crisis?

2. What was the name of the junior high Bryson attended?

3. At whose house was Bryson playing when he broke the body part in #133?

4. Where was Bryson sent quite a bit as punishment?

5. What was the name of the broken down amusement park?

Short Essay Questions

1. For what was Bryson most notorious in high school and what did he do after graduation?

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

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

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

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

6. What were the weather extremes in Winfield?

7. What did Bryson buy with his newspaper route money and what other interest did he develop at this time?

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

9. Describe the Audio Visual Club and why the boys were anxious to join.

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

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

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 3

Discuss Bryson's writing style. How is he different from other writers of his time? What are some of his characteristic writing techniques? Identify some examples of his classic style in this book.

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