WorksheetsThe Gift of the Magi
Total questions: 54
Worksheet time: 57mins
How much money does Della have at the beginning of the story?
$20.00
$1.87
$100.00
No Money
What is the setting of the story?
Paris, France, 2000
New York City, 1900s
East Tennessee, 1890
The Appalachian Mountains, 1925
What inference can we make about characters from these details about setting: "A small, scraggly Christmas tree sits on a table in one corner..."
Christmas is not important to the couple
The couple doesn't have extra money to spend on Christmas
The couple got their tree when there weren't many choices left
It's after Christmas, and their tree is losing needles
How was Della feeling at the beginning of the story?
excited because Christmas was tomorrow
proud because she managed to save up money for Jim’s gift
upset because she didn’t have much money to spend on a gift for Jim
concerned because she thought Jim would be upset if he didn’t get a nice gift
How much is Jim's weekly salary, due to reductions since last year?
$20.00
$30.00
$50.00
$1.87
How much did Madame Sofronie give to Della for her hair?
$20.00
$30.00
$50.00
$1.87
What did Della buy Jim for Christmas?
A silver chain for his watch
A new briefcase for work.
A new coat
A new watch
“floating on the surface of water.”
sparse
threadbare
unceremoniously
afloat
“to be suitable or appropriate for someone or something.”
befit
afloat
haggle
tonic
is to argue about the details of something—particularly the
price of something—before reaching an agreement.
haggle
unceremoniously
befit
sparse
present only in small amounts or is very
spread out over an area.
sparse
haggle
afloat
befit
to describe something made of fabric
that it is old, shabby, and worn thin from use.
Threadbare
afloat
befit
unceremoniously
a liquid mixture that makes you feel better or restores you to
health.
tonic
agonize
reap
befit
glows with
intense heat.
neurochemical
incandescent
befit
unceremoniously
carries information or
messages between your brain and body.
neurochemical
befit
incandescent
haggle
“to gain something as a
result of one’s actions or the actions of others,”
reap
befit
haggle
agonize
What is the moral of the story?
Do not sell your greatest treasure
Those who give with love are the wisest
Those who give with love are foolish
Those who celebrate Christmas are the wisest
Why was everything in the story described as gray?
They didn't have a lot of money.
There were a lot of double-sided rainbows.
They didn’t have a lot of $.
One of their family members died.
What did Della say she looked like after she cut her hair?
Trixie Belden
Chorus Girl
Coney Island chorus girl
Jim
Who did Della sell her hair too?
Madame Jamie Dillingham Young
Mrs. Bobby
Madame Sofronet
Madame Sofronie
When was this story published?
December 24, 1908
November 5, 1910
December 10, 1919
December 10, 1905
What did Jim say about the Christmas presents?
Let's return our Christmas presents before it’s too late.
Let's put our Christmas presents away and keep them awhile. They're too nice to use just at present.
I don’t know Della, maybe we could just throw them out.
Who owned Jim’s watch before him?
His father
His friend
A watch store
His grandfather
How much money did Jim make before his income was shrunk?
$20
$30
$40
$10
What sacrifice did Jim make to buy Della her Christmas gift?
His sold his house.
He sold his watch.
He sold his pet crab.
He stole money from his job.
Why is "The Gift of the Magi" significant?
It tells us why we receive gifts on Christmas.
It explains what you should get a loved one.
It tells you how to save money.
It shows that Christmas is a time of giving and putting others before yourself.
What inference can we make about characters from these details about setting: "A small, scraggly Christmas tree sits on a table in one corner..."
Christmas is not important to the couple
The couple doesn't have extra money to spend on Christmas
The couple got their tree when there weren't many choices left
It's after Christmas, and their tree is losing needles
Indirect characterization occurs when Della explains how she "haggles" over every penny (or bargains with shop keepers to save just a cent). From this characterization, we learn...
That she makes the most of all she has.
That she knows how to survive on little.
That she worries about money.
All of the above
When Della, "squares her shoulders" and "marches out of the apartment..." we...
see direct characterization, describing being indecisive.
see indirect characterization, showing determination.
see direct characterization, describing athleticism.
see indirect characterization, showing weakness.
This characterization about Madame shows...
that she has little empathy (or understanding) for Della's sacrifice.
that she is used to cutting hair and doesn't feel badly about it.
that she cuts hair for wigs often (because others may also have financial struggles and implying something about the setting).
All of the above
What were the names of the two main characters in the short story?
Jim and Della
Tim and Ella
Jim and Dora
Tim and Della
Jim's most precious possession was ....
the money clip given to him by his uncle.
the cane he used as a walking stick.
the pocket watch, which was an heirloom.
an old Bible from his grandmother.
What was Della's most prize possession?
her crystal glasses
her China
her wedding dress
her hair
On what day did the short story occur?
Christmas Eve
New Year's Eve
Christmas Day
New Year's Day
In the following quote, which word hints at the financial situation that the couple find themselves in: "There was nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl" ?
flop
shabby
nothing
how
A possible theme of this story could be that the couple's love for each other is much more valuable than any ____ .
material gift
person's opinion
expensive dinner
verbal expression of love
The following is a definition for what type of literary technique? Occurs when there's an unexpected outcome in a story that is different from what is expected to happen.
verbal irony
situational irony
personification
foreshadowing
Where does the title of the story come from?
the Bible
a famous poem
a famous myth
a Greek legend
What can the reader infer from the following passage?
So now Della’s beautiful hair fell about her rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached below her knee and made itself almost a garment for her. And then she did it up again nervously and quickly. Once she faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed on the worn red carpet.
On went her old brown jacket; on went her old brown hat. With a whirl of skirts and with the brilliant sparkle still in her eyes, she fluttered out the door and down the stairs to the street.
Della is upset that her clothes are worn.
Della is upset because her hair is wet.
Della is bothered that she has to find a gift for Jim.
Della decides to sell her hair, and briefly mourns the loss of her favorite feature.
Which sentence from the passage provides the best example of suspense within the story?
“Jim was never late."
“The door opened and Jim stepped in and closed it.
“He simply stared at her fixedly with that peculiar expression on his face.
“Out of his trance Jim seemed quickly to wake.”
For which of the following reasons does the author most likely include the story of the magi in the last paragraph?
To show that Della and Jim should have given the same gifts as the magi
To show that Della and Jim represent the spirit of giving through love.
To show that Della and Jim need to learn generosity
To show that Della and Jim chose poor gifts for one another
