O.
Henry (1862 – 1910).
William Sidney Porter, known by his penname, O. Henry, was born in North Carolina. He was the son of a doctor. After school he worked as a clerk, then went to
Texas where he tried various professions. After that he became a clerk in a
provincial bank.
In 1902 he went to New York where he lived and wrote short stories. In
his short stories O. Henry described amusing incidents of everyday life in
large cities, on the ranches and on the highways of America. He wrote about 300
stories, such as “The Last Leaf”, “The Four Million”, “Heart of the West”, “The
Voice of the City”, etc. His only novel is “Cabbages and Kings”.
1.
Before reading the story, let’s
review some words.
a)
Match the words in Column A with
the phrases in Column B.
Column
A Column B
1.
proud
A. vision of something ideal
2.
beautiful
B. to give for money
3.
eve C.
feeling satisfaction and pleasure
4.
poor
D. a small clock worn on the wrist
5.
sell
E. having beauty pleasing to the eye
6.
dream F.
having little money
7.
watch
G. the day or evening before a holiday
b)
What is the Russian for husband,
wife, length, knees, treasure, to be proud of, to count, chain, tiny, expression,
to cover, comb? Find these words in the text.
2.
Read the story.
The Two Gifts.
Jim
and Della were very poor. They lived in New York in a small room on the top
floor of a high building. Jim was 22 years old, Della was 21.
Both
husband and wife worked very hard, but there never was any money in the house:
for all they got went to pay for food. And the rent was $8 a week.
And
yet they owned two treasures of which they were very proud. These treasures
were Jim’s gold watch which he had got from his father, and Della’s beautiful
golden hair.
It
was the eve of New Year’s Day. Della wanted to give Jim a present. She counted
her money. One dollar and 87 cents. That was all she had. Only $1.87 to buy a
present for Jim. So she got up and went to the looking-glass. Her eyes shone
brilliantly. Quickly she undid her hair. It fell to its full length. It reached
below her knees and covered her like a cloak. And then she did it up again and
nervously. She put on her old brown jacket and her old brown hat. Then she ran
out the door and down the stairs to the street.
She
stopped before a sign and read the words: “M-me Sofronie. Hair goods of all
kinds”. Then she entered the shop. Madame was sitting at the counter.
“Will
you buy my hair?” asked Della.
“Let
me see it,” said Madame.
Della
took off her hat and undid her hair.
“Twenty
dollars,” said Madame, lifting the mass of Della’s golden hair with a practiced
hand.
“Give
me the money,” said Della…
The
next two hours were like a happy dream. Della was hurrying from shop to shop
looking for Jim’s present.
She
found it at last. It was a watch chain for which she paid $21. and then she
hurried home with the chain and the remaining 87 cents.
Jim
was not at home. Della got out her curling irons and lighted the gas and went
to work; in forty minutes her hair was covered with tiny curls. She looked like
a schoolboy. She said to herself: ”I hope Jim will not kill me. But what could
I do? Oh, what could I do with a dollar and 87 cents?”
At
7 o’clock the coffee was ready. Della set waiting for Jim. She heard his steps
on the stairs, and she turned white for just one moment. The door opened and
Jim entered the room. He looked thin and very serious…and suddenly Jim stopped.
His eyes were fixed upon Della, and there was an expression in them that she
could not understand.
“Jim,
darling” she cried. “Don’t look at me like that! I sold my hair because I
wanted to give you a present. My hair will grow again. It grows very fast. Say
“Happy New Year”, Jim, and let us be happy. You don’t know what a beautiful
present I have for you.”
Jim
said nothing. He drew a package from his overcoat pocket and put it on the
table.
“If
you open the package, you will understand,” he said.
Della
took off the paper. There lay the beautiful combs that Della had seen in a
Broadway sop window. Now they were hers, but her hair was gone.
Suddenly
Della jumped and cried: “Oh, Jim, you have not yet seen your present!” She held
it out to him.
“Isn’t
it a beautiful chain? Give me your watch! I want to see how it looks on it.”
Jim
fell on the sofa and put his hands behind his head and smiled.
“Della,”
said he, “I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. Is the coffee
ready?”
3.
Say what is the English for: верхний этаж, они очень гордились, канун Нового
года, купить подарок, она вошла в магазин, счастливый сон, искать подарок, она
распустила волосы, сбежала вниз по ступенькам на улицу, она побледнела, в его
глазах было выражение, которое она не могла понять.
4.
Answer the questions:
1.
What is the theme of the
story?
2.
What is the idea of the story?
3.
Name the main characters of
the story.
4.
How old were Jim and Della?
5.
Were they poor? Prove it.
6.
What treasures did they own?
7.
When and where did the events
happen?
8.
How did they both get money?
9.
What presents did they buy?
10. Did Della and Jim love each other? Prove it.
11. Why did Jim smile at the end of the story?
12. What kind of people were Della and Jim? (kind,
friendly, generous, attentive, sincere, calm, devoted, patient). Prove your
idea.
5.
Are the following statements
true or false?
1.
It was the eve of New Year’s
Day.
2.
Della and Jim were very rich.
3.
They owned two treasures of
which they were very proud.
4.
Della didn’t find a present
for Jim.
5.
Jim’s present was very useful
for him.
6.
Jim was very angry when he saw
that Della had cut her hair.
6.
Complete the sentences.
1.
Jim and Della lived in… in a
small… on the …floor of a high…
2.
All they got went to pay for…
3.
Della found a present at last. It
was…for which she paid…
4.
Jim entered the room. He looked…
and very…
5.
Della took off the paper. There
lay the beautiful…
7. Translate the sentences.
1. Муж и жена работали очень тяжело, но в доме никогда не было денег.
2. Все же у них были два сокровища, которыми они очень гордились.
3. Она села на диван и заплакала.
4. Следующие два часа были похожи на волшебный сон.
5. Через 40 минут ее голова была покрыта мелкими завитушками.
6. Она услышала шаги на лестнице и на мгновение она побледнела.
7. Я хотела подарить тебе подарок.
8.
Act out the dialogue between Della and Jim.
9.
Retell the text.
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