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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through The Great Indoors, Death Watch, In Praise of Diners, Shopping Madness, The Fat of the Land, Your New Computer, How to Rent a Car, The Wasteland, The Flying Nightmare and Enough Already.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Bryson say Americans are very resistant to in the field of energy?
(a) Raising the price of gasoline even slightly.
(b) Finding alternative sources of energy.
(c) Using less gasoline.
(d) Driving smaller cars.

2. Bryson says there are three types of stores. The first is where you cannot get anyone to help you, and the second is full of clerks who will not leave you alone. What does he say about the third type?
(a) When you ask about something, the clerk has to ask the manager, who is never around.
(b) All the clerks have just started working there and do not know a thing.
(c) The clerks spend all their time talking to each other.
(d) No matter what you ask about, they say it's in "aisle seven."

3. How much energy does Bryson say the average American uses compared to the average European?
(a) Twice as much.
(b) Half as much.
(c) Just slightly more.
(d) Three times as much.

4. What surprising statistic does Bryson share about the number of lawyers in America?
(a) There is 1 lawyer for every 1,000 people.
(b) There are more of them in the United States than the rest of the world put together.
(c) There is 1 lawyer for every 1,000,000 people.
(d) There is a shortage of them.

5. Where do Bill and his wife go to celebrate their anniversary?
(a) To a fancy restaurant in Vermont.
(b) To a spa in Connecticut.
(c) To an expensive inn in Massachusetts.
(d) To a ski resort in Quebec.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Bill, which offense do the British commit that he takes offense to?

2. How was the first "drive-in" movie shown in New Jersey in the 1930's?

3. What word associated with Christmas does Bryson wonder about at the beginning of "The Mysteries of Christmas"?

4. What does Bill say is ridiculous about a VCR?

5. What does Bill find to be a difficult adjustment for him when he returns to the U.S.?

(see the answer key)

This section contains 394 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample