To give not to receive.

The Gift of the Magi is written by O Henry, a famous American short story writer in the 20th century. His stories are well noted for their unexpected endings. This reading passage is entitled “A sacrifice for love”which is part of the story.

Reading Main characters When Where Problem Resolution Della & Jim, a poor couple the day before Christmas the couple’s home Della wants to buy Jim a Christmas gift but does not have enough money Della sells her long, beautiful hair for 20 dollars, with which she buys a gold watch chain for Jim

Jim’s gold watch What were the couple’s two most precious possessions ? Della’s hair

1.James Dillingham Young was a rich young man. 2.Della lived in a neighborhood with many trees and flowers. 3.Jim and Della were a married couple. 4. The living cost was greater than Della had expected. 5.Della thought having a haircut will make Jim happy. 6. Della decided to have her hair cut out of her love for Jim. F F T F T True or False : T

Can you say something about these numbers? 0.87

Careful reading 1.“Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eight- seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas. Della wept.” (Para1) Why did Della cry after counting the money she had been saving?

3. “She stood by the window and looked out at a grey cat walking along a grey fence in a grey backyard.” (Para3) What does the color “grey” tell you? 4. “Suddenly Della walked to the mirror. Her eyes were shining. “(Para5) What does the word “shining” tell you?

5. “And then she quickly did it up again. She hesitated for a minute and stood still while a tear or two fell on the worn red carpet.” (Para5) Why did Della do her hair up? Can you describe Della’s feeling from the words “hesitate” and “still” and the phrase “a tear or two fell…”?

6. “The next two hours she was searching the stores for Jim’s present…she had turned all of them inside out.” (Para7,8) Can you tell me why Della spent so many hours buying a watch chain instead of buying one in a shop at once?

7. “She looked at herself in the mirror for a long time.” (Para9) What was she probably thinking about when she was looking at herself in the mirror? 2. Why did the writer repeat the number“$1.87” again and again?

Your understanding 1. What words can you think of to describe her feeling? sad, disappointed, worried, upset, desperate, helpless, devoted

2. Explain the following sentences: 1. Her eyes were shining. 2. …, but her face lost its color within twenty seconds. 3. She hesitated for a minute and stood still while a tear or two fell on the worn red carpet.

Step V Finish the next part of the story Go on reading the story to find out what happened next and test your prediction. What is the climax of the story according to you?

Check your understanding 1.What does the story mainly tell us? ( main idea) A. How to celebrate a happy Christmas for a young and rich couple. B. How to choose Christmas presents for couples. C. A love story between a young and poor couple. D. Christmas presents should be very valuable..

Task 3 : Explain the words in bold in the text in English. 1. bargain 2. expense 3. hesitate A. cost B. argue with shop keepers to get things cheaper C. stand for a moment not knowing what to do

◇ Love is the greatest gift of all. ◇ Money can't buy you love. ◇ A gift must come from the heart. ◇ Beauty comes from within. Which of the four sayings best describes the main theme of A Sacrifice for Love ?

Para.1 Della wept because she had little money to buy Jim present this Christmas. Para.2 Della and Jim’s living condition. Para.3 Della wanted to buy Jim a Christmas present, which was worthy of being owned by Jim. Para.4 The young couple owned two precious things, one was Jim’s gold watch, and the other was Della’s hair. Para.1 Della wept because she had little money to buy Jim present this Christmas. Para.2 Della and Jim’s living condition. Para.3 Della wanted to buy Jim a Christmas present, which was worthy of being owned by Jim. Para.4 The young couple owned two precious things, one was Jim’s gold watch, and the other was Della’s hair. Careful-reading

Para.5 Della’s beautiful hair Para.6 Della decided to sell her hair. Para.7 Della got twenty dollars and then she began to buy Jim a Christmas present. Para.8 She spent 21 dollars on a gold watch chain. Para.9 Della decided to sell one of the two precious things-her hair because she loved Jim. Para.5 Della’s beautiful hair Para.6 Della decided to sell her hair. Para.7 Della got twenty dollars and then she began to buy Jim a Christmas present. Para.8 She spent 21 dollars on a gold watch chain. Para.9 Della decided to sell one of the two precious things-her hair because she loved Jim.

Make an outline of this part of the story: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Della was sad the day before Christmas, because she didn’t have enough money to buy her husband, Jim, a Christmas gift. ( Para 1-3 ) Della bought a gold watch chair for Jim, at the cost of her hair. ( para4-8 ) Della went home and did her hair. (Para 9 )

1. Why did Della cry after counting the money she had been saving? 2. Why did tears fall from her eyes while Della was standing in front of the mirror? 3. How much does Della sell her hair? What price does Della pay to buy her present ？ $21 Careful reading: Because with one dollar and eighty-seven cents, she couldn’t buy a fine and rare gift for Jim. She decided to cut off her hair and sold it for some money. $20

If you were Della, what would you do? Discussion Have you ever received a special gift? What’s its story?

2. What is the tone of the writer? (attitude) A. critical B. sarcastic ( 讽刺 的 ) C. praising D. humorous 3. What words can be used to describe the feeling of Della after she learned that Jim sold the watch to get the money to buy her the comb? (make an inference) A. sad and disappointed B. moved and appreciative C. regretful and excited D. desperate and worried