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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 end up doing with all the food he buys at the supermarket?

2. In "Lost at the Movies," which Jurassic Park movie did Bryson take his children to see?

3. What does Bill hate about flying now that he is back in the U.S.?

4. What does Bryson say that all New Englanders do?

5. Where do Bill and his wife go to celebrate their anniversary?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. In "The Risk Factor," how does Bryson explain that the average American is twice as likely to die accidentally as the average Briton?

5. What comparison does Bryson make between American baseball and English cricket in "Take Me Out to the Ballpark"?

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

7. "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?

8. In "The Inefficiency Report," Bryson says "Our subject today is large-scale incompetence in my native land." Give some examples of what he believes are areas of incompetence in 1990s America.

9. 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?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"I'm a Stranger Here Myself" is a first person narrative, told from Bill Bryson's point-of-view. Briefly explain how the first person narrative is effective and how it is limited. Give four specific examples that show how the memoir is effectively told from Bill Bryson's point of view. How is our vicarious experience enhanced by Bryson's choice of first person?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

State the theme of "I'm a Stranger Here Myself." How is the theme of the story reflected in the conflicts and challenges Bill Bryson experiences when he returns to America? Discuss four examples from the narrative.

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