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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What aspect of the plot structure in "The Gift of the Magi" is one for which O. Henry was famous?
(a) The twist-ending.
(b) The flashbacks.
(c) The flash-forwards.
(d) The nonlinear narrative.

2. How much is the cost of the room where Della and Jim live?
(a) $15 per week.
(b) $5 per week.
(c) $8 per week.
(d) $20 per week.

3. What did Jim sell to buy Della's gift?
(a) His hair.
(b) His watch.
(c) His coat.
(d) His ring.

4. What did the magi bring to the baby Jesus in the Bible?
(a) Gold, frankinscense, and myrrh.
(b) Gold, hair tresses, and combs.
(c) A sheep, a llama, and a rabbit.
(d) Branches, coal, and a manger.

5. To whose shop does Della go to sell her hair?
(a) Madame Sofronie's shop.
(b) Madame Montpellier's shop.
(c) Madame Lemonds's shop.
(d) Madame Richmond's shop.

6. Which of the following is a central theme in "The Gift of the Magi"?
(a) Mother-daughter relationships.
(b) Ambition.
(c) Sacrifice.
(d) Revenge.

7. In what approximate time period does "The Gift of the Magi" take place?
(a) The early 1800s.
(b) The early 1900s.
(c) The late 1600s.
(d) The late 1700s.

8. How much money does Della pay for Jim's watch chain?
(a) $20.
(b) $10.95.
(c) $15.
(d) $21.

9. What is the most likely setting of "The Gift of the Magi"?
(a) Los Angeles.
(b) Panama City.
(c) Rural Nebraska.
(d) New York City.

10. How is the electric bell at Jim and Della's apartment described?
(a) It is incredibly loud.
(b) It buzzes nonstop.
(c) It is tinkly and soft.
(d) It does not work.

11. How is the letter-box described as Della and Jim's apartment building?
(a) Permanently locked.
(b) Too small to hold a letter.
(c) Rusted completely shut.
(d) Unable to open due to a broken door.

12. What color is Della's hair?
(a) Brown.
(b) Blonde.
(c) Red.
(d) Black.

13. On whose point of view is the narrative focused in "The Gift of the Magi"?
(a) On Della's point of view.
(b) On Jim's father's point of view.
(c) On Madame Sofronie's point of view.
(d) On Jim's point of view.

14. How is the design of the watch chain described?
(a) Simple.
(b) Elaborate.
(c) Extravagant.
(d) Highly detailed.

15. How is the looking-glass described in Della and Jim's home?
(a) Very large.
(b) Very narrow.
(c) Round and solid.
(d) Very wide.

Short Answer Questions

1. The watch chain is described as being like Jim, who is said to be embodied with what?

2. What are Jim and Della about to do in the end of "The Gift of the Magi"?

3. The narrator says in the end of "The Gift of the Magi" that these two (Jim and Della) were what, among all who give gifts?

4. What are the most significant symbols in "The Gift of the Magi"?

5. What does Della do after counting her money in the beginning of "The Gift of the Magi"?

(see the answer keys)

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