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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Bill find strange about some U.S. commercials?

2. What particular product in American supermarkets fascinates Bill?

3. Bill says the GDP is very hard to measure in modern times. What does GDP stand for?

4. How does Bill feel when he goes to a barbershop?

5. In "The Risk Factor," what does Bryson say an American is twice as likely to do as a British person?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Rule Number 1: Follow All Rules,"what does Bryson use as an example of a rule that must be followed in America? How does he compare the devotion to order in the U.S. and Britain?

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

3. 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"?

4. How does Bryson feel about gardening? What are his feelings concerning gardening with his mate in "Gardening With My Wife"?

5. In "The Numbers Game," Bryson expresses his amazement at the large numbers that are quoted by American government agencies. What does he say about the use of such large numbers?

6. "The Cupholder Revolution" details the proliferation of cupholders. What does Bryson have to say about them?

7. Bryson finds the lack of privacy in America to be a problem. List three examples of this problem that he cites in "Snoopers at Work."

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

9. In "Design Flaws" Bryson compares running shoes and his computer keyboard. What does he say about each one?

10. In "Coming Home" Bryson says he is "gamely assessing" the concept of not being able to go home again. What circumstances took him away from the United States in the 1970s? How did he spend the following two decades in England? What is his reaction on returning to the United States in 1996?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Define memoir as a literary genre. What elements of the memoir are found in "I'm a Stranger Here Myself"? Briefly outline the main points of Bill Bryson's experiences as they are described in the book. Discuss why you believe they are appropriate or not as inclusions in a memoir about a man returning to his country of birth after twenty years away.

Essay Topic 2

The setting refers to the time and the place where a story takes place. Compare and contrast the settings of "I'm a Stranger Here Myself." How does the United States to which he returns compare to the country he left behind in the 1970's? Cite at least three examples from the book where Bryson discusses how the setting, in reference to time, has changed.

Essay Topic 3

What are some techniques Bill Bryson uses to make the real events of his life back in the United States come alive? Illustrate with one or two examples for each technique.

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