Никоненко Тамара Петрівна

    Jim and Della were two young people, husband and wife. They loved each other dearly. They lived in a small room in an old house in one of the dirty streets of New York.

    They worked from early morning till late at night, but they got very little money for their work. And still they had two things which were very dear to them – Jim’s gold watch and Della’s beautiful hair.

    Christmas was coming and Della wanted to give Jim a nice present, but she had no money. She really did not know what to do. She sat on the sofa and began to cry. Suddenly an idea came to her. She got up and stood in front of the mirror and looked at her beautiful long hair. Then she left the house and in a few minutes she was already at the hairdresser’s shop.

    “Will you buy my hair?” she asked. The hairdresser looked at her hair and said, “Yes, I will. It’s fine hair. I can give you twenty dollars for it”. Della was very happy. She took the money and went to buy a present for her husband. In one of the shops she saw a very beautiful watch chain. “I’ll buy it. Jim will be very glad”, she said to herself. “He needs a chain for his watch”.

    So Della bought a gold watch-chain as a Christmas present for Jim. When she got home, Jim was already there waiting for her. He looked at his smiling little wife and understood everything.

    “Why did you do it?” he asked.

    “Dear Jim, my hair will grow and I wanted to give you a present. Here it is”, and she put the watch-chain into his hand.

    The beautiful chain, Della’s present, was of no use to him. He had sold his gold watch to buy a Christmas present for his wife. He took a packet out of his pocket and gave it to Della. She opened it and saw two beautiful combs that she had seen in a shop window and had wanted for so long.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who were Jim and Della?

A. They were brother and sister.

B. They were father and mother.

C. They were husband and wife.

D. They were good friends.

2. Where did they live?

A. In a large flat.

B. In a house of their own.

C. In a two-room flat in an old house.

D. In a small room in an old house.

3. How much did they get for their hard work?

A. Very little money.

B. No money at all.

C. Much money.

D. Enough money.

4. What were the dearest things to them?

A. Jim’s beautiful hair and Della’s gold watch.

B. Della’s beautiful hair and Jim’s gold watch.

C. Della’s beautiful mirror and Jim’s sofa.

D. Jim’s gold watch-chain and Della’s beautiful combs.

5. Why did they want to give a present to each other?

A. They loved each other dearly.

B. Their birthdays were coming.

C. Christmas was coming.

D. They wanted to please each other.

6. Why did Della begin to cry?

A. She wasn’t well.

B. She didn’t want to go to the hairdresser’s shop.

C. She had no money to buy a present.

D. She didn’t like her long hair.

7. Why was Della happy after visiting the hairdresser’s shop?

A. She cut her hair short at last.

B. She had a new hairdo.

C. She received twenty dollars for her hair.

D. The hairdresser was good to her.

8. What made Della sell her beautiful long hair?

A. She wanted to buy a present for Jim.

B. She wanted to buy a present for herself.

C. She wanted to surprise Jim.

D. She wanted to change her hairdo.

9. What did Della do with the money?

A. She bought two beautiful hair combs.

B. She bought a gold watch-chain.

C. She bought a lot of Christmas presents.

D. She lost all the money

10. Why was her present of no use to Jim?

A. He had lost his gold watch.

B. He had presented his gold watch to his friend.

C. He had sold his gold watch.

D. He didn’t like watch-chain.