Question

(1) one dollar and eighty - seven cents. that was all. and sixty cents of it was in pennies. pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until ones cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. three times della counted it. one dollar and eighty - seven cents. and the next day would be christmas.
(2) there was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. so della did it. which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.
(3) while the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at the home. a furnished flat at $8 per week. it did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad.
(4) in the vestibule below was a letter - box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring. also appertaining thereunto was a card bearing the name \mr. james dillingham young.\ the \dillingham\ had been flung to the breeze during a former period of prosperity when its possessor was being paid $30 per week. now, when the income was shrunk to $20, the letters of \dillingham\ looked blurred, as though they were thinking seriously of contracting to a modest and unassuming d. but whenever mr. james dillingham young came home and reached his flat above he was called \jim\ and greatly hugged by mrs. james dillingham young, already introduced to you as della. which is all very good.
(5) della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag. she stood by the window and looked out dully at a grey cat walking a grey fence in a grey backyard. tomorrow would be christmas day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy jim a present. she had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. twenty dollars a week doesnt go far. expenses had been greater than she had calculated. they always are. only $1.87 to buy a present for jim. her jim. many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him. something fine and rare and sterling - something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by jim.

select the correct answer
read the excerpt from the passage
(10) on went her old brown jacket; on went her old brown hat. with a whirl of skirts and with the brilliant sparkle still in her eyes, she fluttered out the door and down the stairs to the street.
how does the information in the excerpt develop a sense of mystery in the story?
○ a. it suggests that della is about to do something of significance.
○ b. it reveals that della has decided to leave her shabby apartment.
○ c. it conveys that della is leaving to meet someone important.
○ d. it substantiates dellas desire to make herself happy

Explanation:

The text is a literary excerpt from "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry. It describes Della's actions and emotions related to Christmas preparations. The question asks how the information in the excerpt develops a sense of mystery. Option A suggests Della is about to do something of significance. The text shows Della's emotional state (crying, counting money) and her actions (going out, with a "whirl of skirts and bright sparkle in her eyes") which imply she is about to take a significant step (likely selling her hair, which is a key plot point in the story creating mystery about what she will do). Options B (leaving apartment) is a minor detail; C (meeting someone) has no basis; D (desire for happiness) is too general.

Answer:

A. It suggests that Della is about to do something of significance.