San Pasqual AcademyEnglish 9 and 10 - Ms. Priester

“The Gift of the Magi” Test

Reading Comprehension – 7 points each1. At the beginning of the story, Della is sobbing because she –

a. always misses her family at Christmasb. cannot find a jobc. hates her shabby flat (apartment)d. does not have any money for the holidays

2. Which of the following terms best describes Jim and Della’s marriage?a. angryb. difficultc. lovingd. boring

3. Della’s biggest treasure is her—a. watchb. jewelsc. heightd. hair

4. Della visits Mme. Sofronie, Della wants to—a. pawn (trade-in) Jim’s watchb. know the futurec. sell her hair d. rent a flat (apartment)

5. What does Della buy after leaving Mme. Sofronie?a. a watch chainb. a pair of new bootsc. a set of combsd. a curling iron

6. Which word best describes Jim’s first reaction to Della after she returns from Mme. Sofronie?a. terrifiedb. disappointedc. heartbroken d. shocked

7. Della cries when she sees the combs, because she had—a. wanted a wristwatchb. not spent as much on Jim’s giftc. not expected anything so niced. cut off her hair

8. When Jim gets Della’s present, he—a. gets angryb. roars with laughterc. smiles knowinglyd. storms out of the room

9. According to the author, the real wise men are—a. people who give selflesslyb. Santa’s elvesc. a group of foolish childrend. couples who live in apartments

10. After Jim receives his present, Della learns that—a. he lost his jobb. he had sold his watchc. he didn’t buy a present for herd. dislikes short hair (___/70)

N.Priester Page 1 of 3 4/8/2023From: Holt Literature and Language Arts: Third Course

Your Points:

___/145

San Pasqual AcademyEnglish 9 and 10 - Ms. Priester

Focus on Irony – 10 points each11. The situational irony in this story comes from the fact that the ending is—

a. unexpectedb. predictablec. confusingd. mysterious

12. The surprise ending is that—a. Della learns the truthb. Della decides to have a babyc. Jim loves Della’s new dressd. Jim has sold his watch

13. The dramatic irony in this story comes from the fact that –a. we feel sympathy for the charactersb. Jim is witty and sophisticatedc. we are aware of the situation before Della isd. Della has theatrical personality

14. The story’s irony is based on the fact that life is—a. unpredictableb. difficultc. unfaird. complicated (___/40)

Story Vocabulary – 3 points each Circle the letter of the best definition for each underlined vocabulary word.15. Della did not know why Jim’s scrutiny made her so uncomfortable.

a. activityb. observationc. gossipd. reckless

16. Della’s nimble fingers opened the parcel in no time flat.a. quickb. differentc. conceitedd. anxious

17. Della’s beautiful hair would make the rarest jewels depreciate in value.a. increaseb. declinec. progressd. stretch

18. At first, Jim was discreet about his secret.a. judgmentalb. loyalc. prudently (carefully) silentd. good-hearted

19. Della spent the day ransacking the stores for Jim’s present.a. opening/beginningb. looting/raidingc. using/utilizingd. searching/seeking (___/15)

Warning! If you do not attempt to answer most of the written section, your entire test will not be graded.

N.Priester Page 2 of 3 4/8/2023From: Holt Literature and Language Arts: Third Course

San Pasqual AcademyEnglish 9 and 10 - Ms. Priester

Written Response to the Standard - points are indicated within the prompt20. Why is “The Gift of the Magi” is a good example of situational irony? Write a complete paragraph that:

-begin with a topic sentence (___/2)-define situational irony (___/8)-explain why this story is a good example of situational irony (___/4)-use details from the story to support your ideas (___/8)-ends with a closing sentence that explains the effect this type of irony has on the reader (___/4)-use grade-level writing skills – simple answers will earn simple scores (___/4)

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N.Priester Page 3 of 3 4/8/2023From: Holt Literature and Language Arts: Third Course