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

2. Where did the Brysons spend a night in a cheap hotel?

3. What job did Bryson have during the 1950s and 1960s?

4. What entertainment venue did Bryson really enjoy?

5. What supermarket remained from Bryson's youth?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What was Bryson's opinion of staying in Des Moines versus moving to a bigger city?

4. How did the very long winter season impact the school children?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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This section contains 972 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample