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San Pasqual Academy
___/145 English 9 and 10 - Ms. Priester
“The Gift of the Magi” Test
Reading Comprehension – 7 points each
At the beginning of the story, Della is sobbing because she –
a. always misses her family at Christmas
b. cannot find a job
c. hates her shabby flat (apartment)
d. does not have any money for the holidays

Which of the following terms best describes Jim and Della’s marriage?
e. angry
f. difficult
g. loving
h. boring

Della’s biggest treasure is her—

i. watch
j. jewels
k. height
l. hair

Della visits Mme. Sofronie, Della wants to—

m. pawn (trade-in) Jim’s watch
n. know the future
o. sell her hair
p. rent a flat (apartment)

What does Della buy after leaving Mme. Sofronie?

q. a watch chain
r. a pair of new boots
s. a set of combs
t. a curling iron

Which word best describes Jim’s first reaction to Della after she returns from Mme. Sofronie?
u. terrified
v. disappointed
w. heartbroken
x. shocked

Della cries when she sees the combs, because she had—
y. wanted a wristwatch
z. not spent as much on Jim’s gift
aa. not expected anything so nice
bb. cut off her hair

When Jim gets Della’s present, he—

cc. gets angry
dd. roars with laughter
ee. smiles knowingly
ff. storms out of the room

According to the author, the real wise men are—

gg. people who give selflessly
hh. Santa’s elves
ii. a group of foolish children
jj. couples who live in apartments
N.Priester Page 1 of 4
12/2/2009
From: Holt Literature and Language Arts: Third Course
 San Pasqual Academy
English 9 and 10 - Ms. Priester
After Jim receives his present, Della learns that—
kk. he lost his job
ll. he had sold his watch
mm. he didn’t buy a present for her
nn. dislikes short hair
(___/70)

Focus on Irony – 10 points each

The situational irony in this story comes from the fact that the ending is—
oo. unexpected
pp. predictable
qq. confusing
rr. mysterious

The surprise ending is that—

ss. Della learns the truth
tt. Della decides to have a baby
uu. Jim loves Della’s new dress
vv. Jim has sold his watch

The dramatic irony in this story comes from the fact that –
ww. we feel sympathy for the characters
xx. Jim is witty and sophisticated
yy. we are aware of the situation before Della is
zz. Della has theatrical personality
The story’s irony is based on the fact that life is—
aaa. unpredictable
bbb. difficult
ccc. unfair
ddd. complicated
(___/40)

Story Vocabulary – 3 points each

Circle the letter of the best definition for each underlined vocabulary word.
Della did not know why Jim’s scrutiny made her so uncomfortable.
eee. activity
fff. observation
ggg. gossip
hhh. reckless

Della’s nimble fingers opened the parcel in no time flat.

iii. quick
jjj. different
kkk. conceited
lll. anxious

Della’s beautiful hair would make the rarest jewels depreciate in value.
mmm. increase
nnn. decline
ooo. progress
ppp. stretch

At first, Jim was discreet about his secret.

qqq. judgmental
N.Priester Page 2 of 4
12/2/2009
From: Holt Literature and Language Arts: Third Course
 San Pasqual Academy
English 9 and 10 - Ms. Priester
rrr. loyal
sss. prudently (carefully) silent
ttt. good-hearted
Della spent the day ransacking the stores for Jim’s present.
uuu. opening/beginning
vvv. looting/raiding
www. using/utilizing
xxx. searching/seeking
(___/15)

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

Written Response to the Standard - points are indicated within the prompt
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 4
12/2/2009
From: Holt Literature and Language Arts: Third Course
 San Pasqual Academy
English 9 and 10 - Ms. Priester
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N.Priester Page 4 of 4
12/2/2009
From: Holt Literature and Language Arts: Third Course