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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 house feature does Bryson miss from his childhood?

2. Why is Bryson not impressed with the spell checker on his computer?

3. According to Bryson, what is the result of the "abundance of choice" in America?

4. What animal got trapped in the Bryson house soon after the family moved in?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Ah, Summer!" what does Bryson say he likes about summers in New Hampshire? How does he compare them to summers in Iowa?

2. Bryson titled "The Waste Generation". Give three examples of why he thinks the generation of Americans in the 1990s is a wasteful one.

3. "The Best American Holiday," Bryson explains why he loves Thanksgiving so much. List three things that he enthuses about the holiday.

4. In "Deck the Halls," Bryson tells his readers that he is not looking forward to Christmas decorating. Why is this?

5. In "Life's Mysteries," Bryson lists a very large number of things that he doesn't understand. What are four of these things?

6. In "Shopping Madness," Bryson says there is a discipline called "retail anthropology." What is it ? What are some of the things it studies?

7. "Book Tours", Bryson talks about his fondness for book tours. Why does he like them?

8. Find three examples from "The Great Indoors" that Bryson cites as reasons he thinks Americans spend too much time indoors.

9. "The Myteries of Christmas" compares American Christmases and English Christmases. How does Bryson compare the two holidays?

10. In "The Flying Nightmare," Bryson compares modern air travel with air travel from his youth in the 1960s and 70s. List three points he makes.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

An anecdote can be defined as an interesting or humorous telling of an incident. It is often used in writing. As a memoir, "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" is structured as a collection of anecdotes in essay format. The author has chosen a number of incidents relating to his return to the United States. He weaves them together into a coherent whole that results in a memoir. Define an anecdote. What characteristics does it have? How does Bryson structure his anecdotes? Citing one of his anecdotes from "I'm a Stranger Here Myself," show how he structures the beginning, middle, and ending of his anecdotes.

Essay Topic 2

Conflict is a common element of writing, in both fiction and nonfiction. Why is conflict so often used in narratives? How can it help add interest to a narrative? Give four examples where conflict in "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" occurs and how it helps explain the dynamics of Bill's return and his reactions to the United States.

Essay Topic 3

Why do you think Bill Bryson included Essay 69, "An Address to the Graduating Glass of Kimball Union Academy"? What do you think his intent was? Discuss three points of advice that he included in his speech.

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