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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. For what characteristic was Bryson's father known?
(a) He was a great bowler.
(b) He was a great dancer.
(c) He was artistic.
(d) He was cheap.

2. In what state did the military begin testing atomic bombs?
(a) Montana.
(b) Utah.
(c) Nevada.
(d) Arizona.

3. What publication did most boys need to rely on to seem partially clothed girls?
(a) Mail order catalogs.
(b) Hustler.
(c) Medical supply books.
(d) National Geographic.

4. What did Bryson say was a myth about childhood?
(a) Time goes by fast.
(b) Every day is an adventure.
(c) Any Christmas gift is the best.
(d) Every birthday is happy.

5. Where did Bryson and his mother go for pie after the movies?
(a) Maguire's.
(b) Toddle House.
(c) Frisch's.
(d) Waffle House.

Short Answer Questions

1. What became the joy of every family in the 1950s?

2. Who was the girl in Bryson's neighborhood that everyone wanted to see naked?

3. What was one of the few things that was really exciting for Bryson?

4. What could take Bryson a whole morning to do on the weekends?

5. What kind of kit did Bryson get for Christmas one year that was disappointing?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did the Thunderbolt Kid get his powers and what were the circumstances of the Thunderbolt Kid getting his costume?

2. Describe a typical experience of Bryson's family stopping to see his mother's family every time they went on vacation.

3. What form of exercise did Bryson's father like to practice and what was an unusual location for his exercise routine?

4. What were the results of the hydrogen bombs dropped by the United States in 1952 and 1954?

5. What were some of the appliances that people in the 1950s were excited about owning?

6. What was the ritual Bryson had with his mother every Friday evening?

7. What were some of the regulations about sex in the 1950s?

8. Name some of the things that showed that life was simpler and safer in the 1950s.

9. Who was the one girl that all the neighborhood boys wanted to see naked and how did Bryson miss out on this momentous occasion?

10. What was Bryson's mother's main personality quirk?

(see the answer keys)

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