Question 1 (1 point)

Question

Reading Passage:

In the short story “The Gift,” a young woman named Clara struggles with the decision of how to best use the limited money she has saved. She wants to buy a special gift for her husband, who has been working tirelessly to provide for their family, but she does not have enough. She gets the money for the chain by selling her hair that she had cut off. Clara decides to purchase a beautiful chain for his prized pocket watch, which she knows he will cherish. Unbeknownst to her, her husband has also sacrificed something dear to him: his watch, to buy a set of combs for her long, luxurious hair. The story ends with both realizing the depth of their love and the irony of their sacrifices.

Question 1:

What does Clara decide to buy for her husband?

Question 1 options:

A new pocket watch.


A beautiful chain for his pocket watch.


A set of combs for her hair.


A pair of gloves.


Question 2 (2 points)
Reading Passage:

In the short story “The Gift,” a young woman named Clara struggles with the decision of how to best use the limited money she has saved. She wants to buy a special gift for her husband, who has been working tirelessly to provide for their family, but she does not have enough. She gets the money for the chain by selling her hair that she had cut off. Clara decides to purchase a beautiful chain for his prized pocket watch, which she knows he will cherish. Unbeknownst to her, her husband has also sacrificed something dear to him: his watch, to buy a set of combs for her long, luxurious hair. The story ends with both realizing the depth of their love and the irony of their sacrifices.

Question 2:

Based on the details in the passage, why is the ending of the story ironic?

Question 2 options:

Both Clara and her husband end up with items they did not need.


Clara's and her husband's gifts are not appreciated.


Both Clara and her husband sacrifice something valuable to buy gifts for each other, but the gifts are now useless.


Clara's gift is more valuable than her husband's gift.


Question 3 (2 points)
Reading Passage:

In the short story “The Gift,” a young woman named Clara struggles with the decision of how to best use the limited money she has saved. She wants to buy a special gift for her husband, who has been working tirelessly to provide for their family, but she does not have enough. She gets the money for the chain by selling her hair that she had cut off. Clara decides to purchase a beautiful chain for his prized pocket watch, which she knows he will cherish. Unbeknownst to her, her husband has also sacrificed something dear to him: his watch, to buy a set of combs for her long, luxurious hair. The story ends with both realizing the depth of their love and the irony of their sacrifices.

Question 3:

What larger conclusion can be drawn about the theme of the story based on Clara and her husband’s actions?

Question 3 options:

Material possessions are the most important aspect of a relationship.


Sacrifices made for loved ones can sometimes lead to unexpected and ironic outcomes.


Financial stability is crucial for a happy marriage.


Gifts should be practical rather than sentimental.


Question 4 (3 points)
Reading Passage:

In the short story “The Gift,” a young woman named Clara struggles with the decision of how to best use the limited money she has saved. She wants to buy a special gift for her husband, who has been working tirelessly to provide for their family, but she does not have enough. She gets the money for the chain by selling her hair that she had cut off. Clara decides to purchase a beautiful chain for his prized pocket watch, which she knows he will cherish. Unbeknownst to her, her husband has also sacrificed something dear to him: his watch, to buy a set of combs for her long, luxurious hair. The story ends with both realizing the depth of their love and the irony of their sacrifices.

Question 4:

How does the author’s use of irony in “The Gift” contribute to the overall message about love and sacrifice? Provide one specific example from the text to support your answer.

Question 4 options:
Question 5 (3 points)
Reading Passage:

In the short story “The Gift,” a young woman named Clara struggles with the decision of how to best use the limited money she has saved. She wants to buy a special gift for her husband, who has been working tirelessly to provide for their family, but she does not have enough. She gets the money for the chain by selling her hair that she had cut off. Clara decides to purchase a beautiful chain for his prized pocket watch, which she knows he will cherish. Unbeknownst to her, her husband has also sacrificed something dear to him: his watch, to buy a set of combs for her long, luxurious hair. The story ends with both realizing the depth of their love and the irony of their sacrifices.

Answer 1

Question 1:

What does Clara decide to buy for her husband?

Question 1 options:

• A new pocket watch.
• A beautiful chain for his pocket watch.
• A set of combs for her hair.
• A pair of gloves.

Question 2:

Based on the details in the passage, why is the ending of the story ironic?

Question 2 options:

• Both Clara and her husband end up with items they did not need.
• Clara's and her husband's gifts are not appreciated.
• Both Clara and her husband sacrifice something valuable to buy gifts for each other, but the gifts are now useless.
• Clara's gift is more valuable than her husband's gift.

Question 3:

What larger conclusion can be drawn about the theme of the story based on Clara and her husband’s actions?

Question 3 options:

• Material possessions are the most important aspect of a relationship.
• Sacrifices made for loved ones can sometimes lead to unexpected and ironic outcomes.
• Financial stability is crucial for a happy marriage.
• Gifts should be practical rather than sentimental.

Question 4:

How does the author’s use of irony in “The Gift” contribute to the overall message about love and sacrifice? Provide one specific example from the text to support your answer.

Question 4 options:

The author’s use of irony highlights the depth of love and the nature of true sacrifice. For instance, Clara sacrifices her beautiful long hair to buy a chain for her husband's watch, while her husband sells his prized watch to purchase combs for her hair. This ironic twist emphasizes that their love for each other is so profound that they are willing to give up their most prized possessions, leading to the poignant realization that love transcends material gifts.

(Note: The answer for Question 4 is written in a narrative form to illustrate how to respond to such a question. If you need a different format or more detail, please let me know.)

Question 5: (While the passage for Question 5 is identical to previous ones, I'll address it in the same manner. However, please provide further context for creating a relevant question or response if needed.)

In this case, you could ask the following:

What message about love and sacrifice does the story convey?

• Love often requires personal sacrifice.
• Material gifts are unnecessary for expressing love.
• Understanding between partners is crucial for a successful relationship.
• Sacrifices can lead to misunderstandings.

(Choose the response based on the specific angle of "The Gift" you wish to highlight using the context provided.)