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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What has Jim bought Della for Christmas?
(a) A gold ring.
(b) A diamond ring.
(c) Hair combs.
(d) A gold watch.

2. How old is Jim said to be in the narrative?
(a) 32.
(b) 29.
(c) 24.
(d) 22.

3. On what floor is the hair shop described as being?
(a) The basement.
(b) The third floor.
(c) The first floor.
(d) The second floor.

4. Della considers what Jim will think of her cut hair and she imagines that if he does not kill her, he will say she looks like what in "The Gift of the Magi"?
(a) A girl who sings and dances for money.
(b) A girl who works in a library.
(c) A little girl.
(d) A girl who prostitutes herself for money.

5. How is Della's hat described?
(a) Old and brown.
(b) Navy blue and new.
(c) Old and gray.
(d) New and red.

6. What are the "magi" from the Bible also referred to as?
(a) The Three Virgins.
(b) The Three Old Lepers.
(c) The Three Bearers of Gold.
(d) The Three Wise Men.

7. What are the most significant symbols in "The Gift of the Magi"?
(a) The cat and the apartment building.
(b) The ring and the necklace.
(c) The hair shop and the jewelry store.
(d) The combs and the watch-chain.

8. How long is Della's hair described in the beginning of "The Gift of the Magi"?
(a) Below her knees.
(b) Just above her waist.
(c) Below her ankles.
(d) To her shoulders.

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

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

11. How much money has Della saved up in the opening of "The Gift of the Magi"?
(a) $1.87.
(b) $5.24.
(c) $4.23.
(d) $1.96.

12. How long does Della take to try to make her hair look better before Jim arrives home in "The Gift of the Magi"?
(a) 10 minutes.
(b) Two hours.
(c) 20 minutes.
(d) 40 minutes.

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

14. What does the narrator say that large-hearted giving can leave behind?
(a) Deep marks.
(b) Traces of glory.
(c) Bitter resentments.
(d) Sorrowful regrets.

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

Short Answer Questions

1. How much money does Della pay for Jim's watch chain?

2. What is Jim's middle name?

3. What Biblical king and queen are referenced in "The Gift of the Magi"?

4. How is Della's physical stature described by the narrator?

5. How would you describe Della's feelings for Jim?

(see the answer keys)

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