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Session 3 · The Gift of the Magi
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Recap check · marked · starts as you come in
Sit down, take your notebook and answer on paper at once. 2 students are drawn at random and marked.
- How do you translate « toilettes » in the story?
- Give one thing that is lost in translation.
| Marking scale | Points |
|---|---|
| Each correct answer | 1 |
| Full sentence in English | bonus 1 |
| Total | 2 + 1 |
Corrigé
- gowns
- the double meaning of « parure », the silence of « !… »
Describe and interpret the picture
Look at the illustration at the top of the page. You can see: a young woman with short hair, a small red present, snow at the window, a pocket watch with a chain and two combs on the table.
- Describe the picture in three sentences.
- Which details reveal the twist before we read it?
Useful phrases: It shows… · In the foreground / background… · The colours suggest… · This reminds me of the moment when… · It reveals that… · I think the artist wants us to feel…
Corrigé
Her short hair and the combs on the table: she has sold her hair, and the combs are now useless. The watch chain will be useless too.
Simplified summary
- Della had only one dollar and eighty seven cents.
- Tomorrow was Christmas. She wanted a present for her husband, Jim.
- She sold her long, beautiful hair and bought a chain for Jim's gold watch.
- But Jim sold his watch to buy combs for Della's hair!
- Their presents were useless, but their love was great.
Short extract (original text)
O. Henry, “The Gift of the Magi”, Project Gutenberg #7256
| Word | Meaning | En français |
|---|---|---|
| cents | small coins, 100 cents = 1 dollar | centimes |
| That was all | nothing more | c'était tout |
Vocabulary
| Word | En français |
|---|---|
| to save | économiser |
| flat | appartement |
| treasure | trésor |
| to sell | vendre |
| watch chain | chaîne de montre |
| combs | peignes |
Characters
| Character | Who? | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Della | young wife | sells her long hair |
| Jim | her husband | sells his gold watch |
Gap-fill worksheet
Words: dollar · present · sold · watch · love
- Della had only one …… and eighty seven cents.
- Tomorrow was Christmas. She wanted a …… for her husband, Jim.
- She …… her long, beautiful hair and bought a chain for Jim's gold watch.
- But Jim …… his watch to buy combs for Della's hair!
- Their presents were useless, but their …… was great.
Corrigé
dollar · present · sold · sold · loveCompare the two stories
| The Necklace | The Gift of the Magi | |
|---|---|---|
| Main character | …… | …… |
| Object | …… | …… |
| Twist | …… | …… |
Corrigé
Mathilde / Della · a necklace / hair, a watch, combs · the necklace was not real / the presents are uselessWriting
Write three sentences: what present would you like to give someone you love? Why?Homework · required
To do for next lesson. It is checked at the start of the lesson in the Recap check.
- Exercise 1 · Gap-fill: Della sells her …… . Jim sells his …… . Della buys a …… ; Jim buys …… . (hair, watch, chain, combs)
- Learn the two vocabulary tables for the evaluation.
Corrigé of the homework
- hair · watch · chain · combs
Reminder, the sequence online: https://short-stories-anglais.netlify.app