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

2. What mistake did Bill make that made him realize that he, along with many others, needs product guidance?
(a) He bought some tobacco and then put it in the mailbox.
(b) He injured himself with his letter opener.
(c) He put his shoes on the wrong feet.
(d) He left his bank card in the ATM.

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

4. In "The Risk Factor," what does Bryson say an American is twice as likely to do as a British person?
(a) Die in childbirth.
(b) Die accidentally.
(c) Die of cancer.
(d) Die is hospital.

5. Bryson says that 94% of Americans' trips from home involve the use of something in particular. What is that item?
(a) A car.
(b) A credit card.
(c) A snack.
(d) A cell phone.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "Room Service," what does Bill say the Motel Inn in California is famous for?

2. What did the town of Laconia, New Hampshire, have to do about its new sidewalks and benches in its town center?

3. What does Bill say about his hair?

4. What does Bill say that he has to remember about going into restaurants?

5. What does Bill find in the bottom of his refrigerator, a left over from his junk-food shopping with his wife?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "How to Have Fun at Home,"which household conveniences are high on Bill's approval list? Why?

2. What does Bryson say about regional accents in America in the 1990s in "Dying Accents"?

3. Why does Bryson hate calling the computer helpline, as he outlines in "Help!"? How does he react to hotlines in general?

4. In "Mail Call," what points does Bryson bring up to compare American post offices and British post offices? Why does he prefer American post offices?

5. What does Bryson, who admits he "is no stranger to sloth," say about the walking habits of Americans in Essay 26, "Why No One Walks"?

6. Bryson relates how his attitude to the informality and familiarity in American life seemed an irritant when he returned to the United States. For Essay 19, "Number Please," relate some of the ways he has encountered this informality in America.

7. "Tales of the North Woods" tells the reader something about the wilder side of New Hampshire, Bryson's new home state. What information does he share with the reader about the wilderness of New Hampshire?

8. How does Bryson compare late television in the U.S. to late time television in Britain in his "Drug Culture"? What does he say about the American approach to over-the-counter medicine from watching commercials for these products?

9. How does Bryson support his statement that summer movies "have become so dumb, so very, very dumb" (Essay "Lost at the Movies")?

10. Bryson calls America "the ultimate shopping paradise" in "Consuming Pleasures." How does he support this statement?

(see the answer keys)

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