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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. How many people lived in Canberra at the time Bryson wrote this book?

2. What did Bryson do during the daylight hours on his visits to each city?

3. Who was the British lieutenant who arrived in Australia in 1770?

4. Where did Bryson go at night to make notes about his day's activities?

5. What is the first thing Bryson did when arriving in a new city?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Bryson find the sport of cricket somewhat amusing?

2. What fun did Bryson have with the world's biggest lobster?

3. Why did Bryson have a special fondness for Melbourne and what were some of the quirky things he noted about the city?

4. To what city had Melbourne lost ranking and commercial success?

5. Who joined Bryson for the first leg of his journey and what was their first stop?

6. How did Bryson spend his first day in Sydney?

7. Describe Bryson's trip east from Adelaide to Melbourne.

8. What was the focus of Bryson's driving trip along the Boomerang Coast?

9. What man was unwittingly responsible for the barren land surrounding the town of Hay?

10. What national tragedy and embarrassment occurred at Cheviot Beach in 1967?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the irony of Bryon's statement that most people know shockingly little about? Do you think Bryson had hopes of changing this situation by writing about his trips to Australia? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

What are Bryson's reasons for embarking on his trips to Australia? What did he hope to find that he did not see in a similar trip taken before? What were Bryson's greatest thrills about the trip? Were there any major disappointments? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Explain some of the examples of regionalism found in the book. Can regionalism include more than accents and food? What else encompasses the culture and personality of a region? What are the major differences Bryson found as he traveled from place to place?

(see the answer keys)

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