THINK ABOUT IT

Page 60

Q1. Bill Bryson says, “I am, in short, easily confused.” What examples has he given to justify this?
Answer: Bill Bryson gives several examples to justify that he is easily confused. He mentions going to the lavatory in a cinema and ending up in an alley. He also has to return to hotel desks multiple times a day to ask for his room number. This shows his inability to navigate and remember simple details.

Q2. What happens when the zip on his carry-on bag gives way?
Answer: When the zip on his carry-on bag gives way, all his belongings are ejected “extravagantly” over an area the size of a tennis court. Newspaper cuttings, loose papers, a tin of pipe tobacco, magazines, his passport, English money, and film are scattered everywhere.

Q3. Why is his finger bleeding? What is his wife’s reaction?
Answer: His finger is bleeding because he gashed it on the zip of his carry-on bag when it gave way. His wife’s reaction is not one of anger or exasperation, but one of “simple wonder.” She looks at him and says, “I can’t believe you do this for a living.”

Q4. How does Bill Bryson end up in a “crash position” in the aircraft?
Answer: Bill Bryson ends up in a “crash position” because he leans over to tie his shoelace just as the person in the seat in front of him reclines their seat completely. He finds himself pinned helplessly and can only get free by clawing the leg of the man sitting next to him.

Q5. Why are his teeth and gums navy blue?
Answer: His teeth and gums turn navy blue because a pen he was sucking on while writing in his notebook leaked ink. This happens while he is having a conversation with an attractive young lady, and he only discovers it after he goes to the lavatory.

Q6. Bill Bryson “ached to be suave”. Is he successful in his mission? List his ‘unsuave’ ways.
Answer: No, he is not successful in his mission to be suave. He lists many of his ‘unsuave’ ways, such as:

• Rising from a dinner table looking as if he has just experienced an earthquake.
• Getting out of a car and leaving a part of his coat outside.
• Wearing light-coloured trousers and discovering at the end of the day that he has sat on chewing gum, ice cream, cough syrup, and motor oil.
• Not eating or drinking on a plane to avoid spilling things.

Q7. Why do you think Bill Bryson’s wife says to the children, “Take the lids off the food for Daddy”?
Answer: Bill Bryson’s wife says this out of exasperation and as a precautionary measure. She knows her husband’s clumsy nature and wants to prevent another catastrophe, like him spilling the food or getting injured while trying to open the containers.

Q8. What is the significance of the title?
Answer: The title, “The Accidental Tourist,” is significant because it perfectly describes the author’s personality and experiences. He is not a seasoned, graceful traveler. He is clumsy and prone to accidents, making him a tourist in the most literal and accidental sense. Every journey he takes is marked by a series of mishaps that seem to happen by chance, defining his identity as a traveler.