Module 4 A taste of literature
Unit 8 Surprise endings
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Reading
The gifts
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by O. Henry
One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas. She could not afford a present, so she sat down and cried.
Jim and Della had two possessions which they were both proud of. One was Jim's gold watch that was from his father and his grandfather. The other was Della's beautiful hair. It fell about her, and reached below her knee.
Della put on her old brown jacket and her old brown hat. Then she went out of the door and down the stairs to the street.
She stopped at a store. The sign in front of the store read "Hair Goods".
"Will you buy my hair?" asked Della.
"Twenty dollars," the woman said.
Then Della searched through the stores looking for a present for Jim.
She found it at last. It was a watch chain. The bill was twenty-one dollars.
At seven o'clock, the coffee was made and dinner was ready.
Jim was never late. Della heard his steps on the stairs.
The door opened and Jim walked in. He stopped inside the door. His eyes were fixed on Della, and there was an expression in them that she could not read.
"Jim," she cried, "don't look at me that way. I sold my hair to buy you a Christmas present."
Jim drew a box from his pocket and put it on the table.
Della opened it. There lay the set of combs that she had always wanted. Now they were hers, but her hair was gone.
She smiled and held out Jim's present. "I hunted all over town to find it. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it."
Instead of obeying, Jim sat down, put his hands behind his head and smiled.
"Della," he said, "I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs."
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Listening
How much do you know about O. Henry?
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A Listen to a lecture about O. Henry and complete the notes below. Write one word or figure in each blank.
Listening
O. Henry was born in 1862 in the US as William Sydney Porter.
When he was 25, he first began writing for newspapers and magazines. He did this because he was poor and he wanted to get more money to support his wife and daughter.
In 1896, he was accused of stealing money while he was working in a bank from 1891 to 1894. Afraid of going to prison, he ran away to Central America.
When he was in Central America, he found out that his wife was dying, so he returned to the US in 1897 and was sent to prison. In prison, he began writing short stories to support his daughter. Since he didn't want his readers to know that he was in prison, he wrote under the name "O. Henry". After leaving prison, he moved to New York City and began a successful writing career.
O. Henry died at the age of 47 in 1910. Today he's remembered as one of the writers who invented the short story.
The life of O. Henry
1862 O. Henry was born as William Sydney Porter.
1887 He began writing for (1) _____ and magazines.
1896 He was accused of stealing (2) _____. He ran away to Central America.
1897 He returned to the US because his wife was (3) _____. Then he was sent to (4) _____. There he began writing (5) _____ _____ under the name "O. Henry".
1901 He left prison. Later he moved to (6) _____ _____ _____ and began a successful writing (7) _____.
1910 He died at the age of (8) _____.
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B Listen to the recording again and circle the correct answers.
Listening
O. Henry was born in 1862 in the US as William Sydney Porter.
When he was 25, he first began writing for newspapers and magazines. He did this because he was poor and he wanted to get more money to support his wife and daughter.
In 1896, he was accused of stealing money while he was working in a bank from 1891 to 1894. Afraid of going to prison, he ran away to Central America.
When he was in Central America, he found out that his wife was dying, so he returned to the US in 1897 and was sent to prison. In prison, he began writing short stories to support his daughter. Since he didn't want his readers to know that he was in prison, he wrote under the name "O. Henry". After leaving prison, he moved to New York City and began a successful writing career.
O. Henry died at the age of 47 in 1910. Today he's remembered as one of the writers who invented the short story.
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1
Why did O. Henry first begin writing?
a Because he liked writing short stories.
b Because his friend asked him to do so.
c Because he needed money to support his family.
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2
Where did O. Henry work before he ran away to Central America?
a In a bank.
b In a bookshop.
c In a prison.
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3
Why did William Sydney Porter write under the name "O. Henry"?
a Because he did not like his real name.
b Because his real name was too hard to remember.
c Because he did not want his readers to know he was in prison.
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4
What is O. Henry remembered as today?
a One of the writers who invented the short story.
b The greatest short story writer ever.
c A popular English writer.
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Speaking
A Talk time
Disagreeing in a polite way
Disagreeing with people in a polite way is a very important skill. In discussions, we need to be able to disagree and present our own opinions in a friendly way.
Read the conversation below and practise it in pairs. Pay attention to the words in blue.
Wendy: I love reading short stories. "The gifts" is fantastic.
Jim: I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I didn't enjoy it very much. The story is too simple.
Wendy: I'm sorry, but I don't agree. I love the surprise ending. I also like Della and Jim. They gave up something for each other. It was really touching.
Jim: Perhaps you're right, but I think the story is out of date. No one keeps a watch on a chain any more.
Wendy: I'm sorry that you feel that way. It may be old, but many people still think it's a moving story.
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B Speak up
In groups, talk about the kinds of gifts you usually give on special days. Use the pictures and the questions below to help you. Follow the example.
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What kinds of gifts do you usually give on Mother's Day/at the Mid-Autumn Festival/on Christmas Day/…?
Who do you give the gifts to?
What do you say when you give the gifts?
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S1: What kinds of gifts do you give to your mother on Mother's Day?
S2: I usually choose some flowers.
S1: Does she like your gift?
S2: Yes, she likes it very much.
S1: What do you say when you give her the flowers?
S2: I often say, "Mum, I love you."
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