Тестовые задания по контролю домашнего чтения №4
тест по английскому языку (8 класс) на тему

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 twenty two years old, Della was twenty one.

Both husband and wife worked very hard, but there never was any money in the house; for all they got went to pay the grocer, the butcher, the baker. 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 received 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 eighty seven cents. That was all she had. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. So she sat down on the sofa and wept. Suddenly she got up and went to a looking-glass. Her eyes shone brilliantly. Quickly she undid her hair. It reached below her knees and covered her like a cloak. And then she did it up again quickly and nervously. She put on her old brown jacket and her old brown hat. Then she ran out of the door and down the stairs to the street.

She stopped before the sign and read the words:”M-me Sofronie. Hairgoods of all kinds.” Then she entered the shop. She saw Madame sitting at the counter. She was fat and red-cheeked.

“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 hurried 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 head 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 seven o’clock the coffee was ready. Della sat 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 terrified her.

“Jim, darling!” she cried, “don’t look at me like that: I sold my hair because I wanted to give a present. My hair will grow again. It grows very fast. Say “A Happy New Year”, Jim, and let us be happy. You don’t know what a beautiful present I have for you.”

Jim sighed. He drew a package from his overcoat pocket and threw it on the table.

“If you open the package, you will understand,” he said.

Della took off the paper and string. There lay the beautiful combs that Della saw in a Broadway shop window. Now they were hers, but the hair was gone.

Suddenly Della jumped and cried: “Oh, Jim, I shall give you beautiful present.” She held it out to him upon her open palm.

“Isn’t it a beautiful chain? Give me your watch: I want to see how it looks on it.”

Jim didn’t obey. He fell on the sofa and put his hands behind his head and smiled.

“Della,” he said, “I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. Is the coffee ready?”