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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 Bryson say he, like all midwesterners, love?

2. Why does Bryson leave Pine Mountain so quickly?

3. When Bryson's car begins to skid, what noise does he make?

4. Bryson states that people who pass through Des Moines and stay for years are confused, but _____ in their decision.

5. Where is Bryson forced to eat in Carbondale?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Bryson's opinion, why do Farmers lose their limbs easily?

2. Why does Bryson name the town "Dullard"?

3. How is Tuskegee, AL a trip back in time for Bryson?

4. How does Bryson feel about signs and billboards?

5. What, in Bryson's opinion, is good about being from Des Moines?

6. What is disappointing about the Mississippi to Bryson?

7. What are Bryson's feelings about Mississippi? Why does he feel this way?

8. Does Bryson have a conflicted relationship with North Carolina? What constitutes this relationship?

9. What effect does Bryson's visit to Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum have on him?

10. What inspired Bryson's trip?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss why "The Lost Continent" is the title of this book.

Essay Topic 2

What initiated Bryson's urge to travel was his desire to "be somewhere." However, what inspired this trip was tied to the death of his father and his desire to revisit youth. Discuss Bryson's complex relationship with home.

Essay Topic 3

Aside from sightseeing, Bryson is very concerned with his natural surroundings in both their glory and inadequacy. Discuss how Bryson uses the environment to convey his views of regions and America as a whole.

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This section contains 836 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample