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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In "The War on Drugs," what is wrong, according to Bryson, about the penalties for drug possession?
(a) He thinks the laws favor the rich.
(b) He thinks the penalties for drug possession are too harsh.
(c) He thinks the laws favor the poor.
(d) He thinks the penalties should be harsher.

2. What part of the house does Bill regard as delightful and pretty much the same in every American household?
(a) The basement.
(b) The attic.
(c) The family room.
(d) The laundry room.

3. What does Bill say about the barber in his new hometown?
(a) He only seems to know hairstyles from the 1950's.
(b) He reads more books than Bill does.
(c) He is fresh out of barber school and eager to try new things.
(d) He could talk the hind leg off a donkey.

4. What does Bryson say that all New Englanders do?
(a) Smoke.
(b) Talk a lot.
(c) Gamble.
(d) Get up early.

5. What does Bryson think is sad about how things are changing in modern Vermont?
(a) Pollution is increasing.
(b) More people now are born outside the state.
(c) The weather is warming up.
(d) There are too many Canadians there.

6. What does Bryson say about American gardens?
(a) They are mostly roses.
(b) They are mostly lawn.
(c) They are mostly weeds.
(d) They are mostly bushes.

7. How does Bill feel when he goes to a barbershop?
(a) Happy tot talk to someone with sense.
(b) Like he is going to empty his wallet.
(c) Helpless and insecure.
(d) He can get caught up on his reading.

8. In "Consuming Pleasures," what does Bill say about shopping in America?
(a) You can buy almost anything.
(b) It is a boring and tedious activity.
(c) Everything must be bought in person.
(d) There is underproduction of goods.

9. In "Wide-Open Spaces," according to Bryson, who was an idiot?
(a) Grover Cleveland.
(b) Daniel Boone.
(c) Monty Hall.
(d) Samuel de Champlain.

10. Bryson likes his privacy. Where does he especially find there is a lack of privacy in America?
(a) In clothing store changing rooms.
(b) On airplanes.
(c) In telephone booths.
(d) In public washrooms.

11. In "Room Service," what does Bill say the Motel Inn in California is famous for?
(a) Being built over buried treasure.
(b) Being the first to use the word "motel."
(c) Being used in a lot of movies.
(d) Being owned by Zorro.

12. How many children do the Brysons have?
(a) Three.
(b) Five.
(c) Four.
(d) Two.

13. What does Bill find to be a difficult adjustment for him when he returns to the U.S.?
(a) He left as a young man and came back middle-aged.
(b) He cannot find what he wants in the stores.
(c) He has forgotten American English.
(d) He finds it very noisy.

14. In "Design Flaws," what does Bill complain about, in regards to his computer?
(a) The monitor.
(b) The keyboard.
(c) The hard drive.
(d) The CD player.

15. In "Lost at the Movies," which Jurassic Park movie did Bryson take his children to see?
(a) Lost Innocence.
(b) Lost Dinosaurs.
(c) Lost Appetites.
(d) Lost World.

Short Answer Questions

1. In the twenty years since Bryson left the United States, by how much have car numbers, roads, and mileage increased?

2. How does Bill know so much about motels?

3. Bill is amazed that thousands of Americans end up in the emergency rooms every year from using certain things. What are they?

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

5. According to Bill, what product do Americans regard much differently than the British?

(see the answer keys)

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