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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. According to Bryson, when was the first official Thanksgiving held in the United States?
(a) In November of 1864.
(b) In September of 1922.
(c) In October of 1640.
(d) In August of 1863.

2. In "On Losing a Son," why does Bryson decide to play baseball with his youngest child?
(a) He realizes the little boy is growing up.
(b) He wants him to learn an American sport.
(c) He is tired of working on his writing.
(d) He thinks the boy has a chance to be professional.

3. What did Bryson's parents give him for Christmas when he was eight?
(a) A doll.
(b) Skates.
(c) A chemistry set.
(d) Skis.

4. According to Bryson, which of his sons might one day become a libel lawyer?
(a) Jimmy.
(b) Tim.
(c) Joey.
(d) Tommy.

5. In "The Best American Holiday," what does Bryson say about his mother?
(a) She was a great cook.
(b) She had Thanksgiving catered.
(c) She tried, but the Thanksgiving meal was always a failure.
(d) Once a year, for Thanksgiving, she'd make a great meal.

6. What does Bryson like to do when he picks up his mail on winter mornings?
(a) Take a thermos of hot tea with him.
(b) Walk his dog.
(c) Give his snowblower a work out.
(d) Test his tolerance for the cold.

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

8. What does Bryson comment on as being a strange development in the world of exercise?
(a) Retired people meeting at malls to have their daily walk.
(b) Actually paying large amounts to join a gym.
(c) Driving one's car to the gym
(d) That it is a multi-million dollar industry.

9. According to Bryson, which man from his childhood state deserves more credit in American history?
(a) Herbert Hoover.
(b) Mark Twain.
(c) Washington Carver.
(d) Adlai Stevenson.

10. In "Drowning in Red Tape," what is Bryson frustrated about acquiring for his wife?
(a) The right to work in the US.
(b) Legal status in America.
(c) A library card.
(d) Health insurance.

11. In "The Waste Generation," what does Bryson think is getting worse in the United States, compared to his youth?
(a) Pollution.
(b) Poverty.
(c) Global warming.
(d) Crime.

12. What does Mrs. Bryson tell her husband about Maggie that cheers him up?
(a) Maggie had to have her jaw wired shut for dental work.
(b) Maggie dyed her hair, and it turned green.
(c) Maggie had moved to Boston.
(d) Maggie had made herself sick on vegetarian stew.

13. According to Bryson, what makes up for the long New England winters?
(a) The roaring fire in his study.
(b) They are stunningly pretty.
(c) Playing board games with his kids.
(d) Going south for a month.

14. What does Bryson find the most "mind-numbing" feature of modern television?
(a) There are so many good programs and not enough time to watch them.
(b) There are too many so-called experts on too many talk shows.
(c) The same shows are shown over and over.
(d) The commercial breaks.

15. In regards to his son's university education, what is Bryson so shocked about?
(a) The cost of it.
(b) How easy it is to get in.
(c) That his son would live in a co-ed dorm.
(d) How heavy the workload is for undergraduates.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why was Bryson unhappy about a flight he and his family took from Minneapolis?

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

3. Which American business name mystifies Bryson?

4. What does Bryson do in the section called "Life's Mysteries"?

5. In "A Slight Inconvenience," what does Bryson say about drive-through windows in restaurants?

(see the answer keys)

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