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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. Why could men and boys not see the magazine in #78?

2. Who was Bryson's brother?

3. What was a household item that people were buying in the 1950s?

4. What did Bryson keep for years just for the sake of conversation?

5. Who did a huge belly flop off the diving board while on the outing?

Short Essay Questions

1. What importance did comic books have in the lives of Bryson and most other kids in the 1950s?

2. Where did Bryson go with his friend's family on a summer outing and why did he not look forward to it?

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

4. What is the premise of THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE THUNDERBOLT KID?

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

6. What was Bryson's notion of how slowly time passed for kids?

7. How easy was it for Bryson to find somebody to play with?

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

9. What particular times were especially long for kids?

10. What were the results on children of the U.S. bomb testings and what happened when the tests were moved underground?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Bryson's writing style. How is he different from other writers of his time? What are some of his characteristic writing techniques? Identify some examples of his classic style in this book.

Essay Topic 2

There are several events of foreshadowing in the stories. Define foreshadowing. Cite at least two situations in the stories that serve as foreshadowing.

Essay Topic 3

Bryson is a master at dramatic devices. Choose an example of symbolism, metaphors, and irony, briefly describe them, and identify the technique which they embody.

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