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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why does Steinbeck rush to Spokane?
(a) To check into a hotel
(b) To get a good meal
(c) To do some laundry
(d) To find a veterinarian for Charley

2. What does Steinbeck consider the river crossing at Bismarck to be?
(a) The most beautiful place he has ever seen
(b) The true demarcation between east and west
(c) The most boring place he has ever been
(d) The most treacherous experience he has ever had

3. What impresses Steinbeck at the rest stops?
(a) The really clean facilities
(b) The variety of goods in the vending machines
(c) The dog walking areas
(d) The friendliness of other travelers

4. To what does Steinbeck liken the group's verbal taunts?
(a) A lesson in intolerance
(b) A wake-up call
(c) A nightmare
(d) A demonic chorus

5. What is Steinbeck's next destination?
(a) Milwaukee
(b) Chicago
(c) Detroit
(d) Toledo

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Steinbeck think the dairy farms he sees must be subsidized?

2. According to Steinbeck, what do people living in a bland world crave?

3. What does Steinbeck notice that have sprung up near urban centers?

4. Where does Steinbeck go to reminisce with an old friend?

5. Which author wrote that you can't go home again?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Steinbeck learn about truckers when he takes breaks at roadside rest stops?

2. What is the purpose of Steinbeck's stop in Texas?

3. What does Steinbeck admire most about Texans?

4. What dashes Steinbeck's hopes for a good visit with his family?

5. What has Steinbeck noticed about America so far on his trip?

6. What is the irony of the situation Steinbeck encounters at the Canadian border?

7. What happens to Steinbeck in Minneapolis/St. Paul?

8. What two national attractions does Steinbeck visit before leaving Montana?

9. How does Steinbeck justify his opinion that the river crossing at Bismarck is the true demarcation between east and west?

10. How does Steinbeck diffuse a father and son fight when he rents a cabin one night?

(see the answer keys)

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