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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 product first reveals the popularity of toll-free hotline phone numbers to Bill?

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

3. Why did Bill decide to write "Friendly People?"

4. What American kitchen convenience does Bill think is just wonderful?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. 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."

2. Why does Bryson find going to a restaurant in the United States so difficult, as expressed in "What's Cooking"? How does he address the issue of the many varieties of food out there?

3. "Friendly People" begins with Mrs. Bryson telling Bill that all he did in his columns was make negative comments about the United States. He goes on to say there are a lot of things he likes about America. What are some of those things?

4. In "A Visit to the Barbershop," how does Bryson convey that adjusting to the small town barbershop is difficult?

5. In "The War on Drugs," what examples does Bryson give to prove his belief about American drug laws being unfair?

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

7. 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?

8. 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.

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is satire? What is the point of satire and how should it be used? Give three examples of satirical writing that Bryson includes in his book.

Essay Topic 2

Define "the writer's purpose" and give four examples of different genres of writing. Explain the writer's purpose for each one. Apply the definition to "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" and discuss Bill Bryson's purpose in writing the memoir. If you think he has succeeded, give examples to back up your assertion.

Essay Topic 3

Define "creative nonfiction" and explain how it applies to "I'm a Stranger Here Myself." Explain how the book differs from traditional nonfiction with supporting arguments. Explain how it differs from fiction with supporting arguments.

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