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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Della pray for as Jim is about to enter their apartment in "The Gift of the Magi"?
(a) For Jim to be happy she is pregnant.
(b) For Jim to ask for a divorce.
(c) For Jim to have bought her a present.
(d) For Jim to think she is still pretty.

2. The watch chain is described as being like Jim, who is said to be embodied with what?
(a) Ambition and strength.
(b) Glamour and gallantry.
(c) Boldness and beauty.
(d) Quietness and value.

3. How is the proprietor of the hair shop described?
(a) Thin and withered.
(b) Large and too-white.
(c) Coarse and rough-faced.
(d) Masculine and gruff.

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

5. When was "The Gift of the Magi" first published?
(a) 1765.
(b) 1905.
(c) 1953.
(d) 1865.

6. The narrator says in the beginning of "The Gift of the Magi" that Della knows that her hair is more beautiful than what?
(a) A field of fresh-fallen snow.
(b) A flower in the meadow.
(c) A queen's jewels and gifts.
(d) A mountain looking over a lake.

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

8. For how long does Della shop for a gift for Jim after selling her hair?
(a) Nine hours.
(b) Three hours.
(c) Two hours.
(d) Six hours.

9. How is Della's physical stature described by the narrator?
(a) She is tall and hulking.
(b) She is somewhat chubby.
(c) She is very fat.
(d) She is quite thin.

10. What is the watch chain made of that Della buys for Jim?
(a) Copper.
(b) Gold.
(c) Silver.
(d) Jewels.

11. What literary term applies to a device wherein the author steps away from the narrative to speak directly to the reader?
(a) Omniscient intrusion.
(b) Literary allusion.
(c) Authorial intrusion.
(d) Extrication.

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

13. At what time does Della have Jim's dinner ready for him?
(a) 8:00 p.m.
(b) 5:00 p.m.
(c) 6:00 p.m.
(d) 7:00 p.m.

14. What does the narrator say Jim would have done if a king had lived in the same home as he and Della?
(a) Worked as his jester.
(b) Killed his servants.
(c) Looked at his watch every time they met.
(d) Called out for his servants to serve the king.

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

Short Answer Questions

1. How old is Jim said to be in the narrative?

2. 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"?

3. In what approximate time period does "The Gift of the Magi" take place?

4. How much money is offered for Della's hair?

5. How does the narrator describe Jim and Della in the end of "The Gift of the Magi"?

(see the answer keys)

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