The Last

Leaf

O. Henry

Pre-reading Task

True Friends

True Friends (1)

People today, in all this new world
technology and thinking, have
lost sight of what a true
friendship is. So, in sprit of my
best friend Tellie, I thought I
would help the world out a little
and explain what real, true
friends are.

True Friends (2)

1. Friends don't have to be exactly
the same. Friends have similarities
but they also have their
differences. They key to opening up
the world of friendship is not only
to expand on similarities but to
accept each other's faults. Because
you can't ever judge your friend.

True Friends (3)

2. Friends have to argue! No one
likes to but it is necessary to be
healthy. Cause if you agree on
everything, either the
government has expanded cloning
subjects or someone isn't being
true and is trying a little too
hard.

True Friends (4)

3. You have to be comfortable
together or else you just aren't
going to click. If you feel edgy
around the person then
something isn't quite right.

True Friends (5)

4. Friends love unconditionally.
They have there little angry
moments but what's done is done
and all is forgive and forget. Why
let something that happened in
the past ruin what happiness you
could have in the future?

True Friends (6)

5. Believe in love at first sight because
there is the equivalent in friendship.
Some people think that you have to
know someone really well to become
good friends. Trust me, it's not true. If
the first time you really spend time
together you talk for 25 hours straight
until 4:30 in the morning about some
topic you thought no one else in the
world understood, hun, that's real love
at first sight.

True Friends (7)

These are only a few of the
basics. Just remember, friends
are forever. But only if you keep
it that way. Don't diss your buds,
love them instead. And when they
drive you nuts, love them that
much more for being just a little
bit different and maybe just a
little bit quirky!

Once more

Questions for discussion

1. What is your definition of friendship?
2. Faith, hope and charity are
traditionally grouped together as
three important virtues. What do you
think of it?
3. Some say that charity begins at
home, that we should take care of
those closest to us rather than
worrying about strangers. What do
you think of that?
4. Can you figure out what the stories of
this unit are going to be about?

Cultural Notes

Who is
him?
O. Henry (18621910)

O. Henry (1862-1910): pseudonym of

William Sydney Porter(1862-1910),
American writer of short stories, best
known for his ironic plot twists and
surprise endings. Born and raised in
Greensboro, North Carolina, O.
Henry attended school only only
until age 15, when he dropped out to
work in his uncles drugstore.

During his 20s he moved to Texas,

where he worked for more than ten
years as a clerk and a bank teller. O.
Henry did not write professionally
until he reached his mid-30s, when
he sold several pieces to the Detroit
Free Press and the Houston Daily
Post. In 1894 he founded a shortlived weekly humor magazine, The
Rolling Stone.

In 1896 O. Henry was charged

with embezzling funds from the
First National Bank of Austin,
Texas, where he had worked from
1891 to 1894. The amount of
money was small and might have
been an accounting error;
however, he chose to flee to
Honduras rather than stand trial.

Learning that his wife was dying,

he returned to Texas in 1897 and,
after her death, turned himself in
to the authorities. He served
three years of a five-year sentence
a the federal penitentiary in
Columbus, Ohio, where he first
began to write short stories and
use the pseudonym O. Henry.

Released from prison, O. Henry

moved to New York City in 1901 and
began writing full time. In his
storieds he made substantial use of
his knowledge of Texas, Central
America, and life in prison. He also
became fascinated by New York
street life, which provided a setting
for many of his later stories.

During the last ten years of his

life, O. Henry became one of the
most popular writers in America,
publishing over 500 short stories
in dozens of widely read
periodicals.

O. Henrys most famous stories,

such as The Gift of the Magi,
The Furnished Room, and The
Ransom of Red Chief, make
simple yet effective use of
paradoxical coincidences to
produce ironic endings.

For example, in The Gift of the

Magi a husband sells his watch to
buy his wife a Christmas present of a
pair of hair combs; but, she cuts and
sells her long hair to buy him a
Christmas present of a new chain for
his watch. His style of storytelling
became a model not only for short
fiction, but also for American motion
pictures and television programs.

Writing at the rate of more than one

story per week, O. Henry published
ten collections of stories during a
career that barely spanned a decade.
They are Cabbages and Kings (1904),
The Four Million (1906), Heart of the
West (1907), The trimmed Lamp
(1907), The Gentle Grafte r(1908),
The Voice of the City(1908),
Options(1909), Roads of
Destiny(1909), Whirligigs(1910), and
Strictly Business(1910).

The collections Sixes and Sevens

(1911), Rolling Stones (1912),
and for the best American short
stories published each year were
founded by the Society of Arts
and Sciences. The Complete
Works of O. Henry was published
in 1953.

The last leaf

Pre-questions (1)
Q1: What was, at first, Johnsy
determined to do if the last ivy leaf
should fall?
A1: She made up her mind to die when
the last leaf fell.
Q2: What did she decide to do when
she saw the last leaf still cling to the
vine after two nights rain and wind?
A2: She decided not to give up her life.

Pre-questions (2)
Q3: How was it that the cold fierce
wind did not blow away the last leaf?
A3: Behrman, a kind neighbor, who
was aware of Johnsys state of mind,
risked death to paint the last leaf
and save her.
Q4: Why did Sue call the painted leaf
Behrmans masterpiece?
A4: Because it was so perfect the girls
both mistook it for the real thing.

Text Organization
Scenes Paragraphs

Characters

Events

Paraa 1-2

Sue,
Johnsy

Sues roommate Johnsy

caught pneumonia

Paras 3-8

The
doctor,
Sue

The doctor told Sue

that Johnsy needed a
strong will to live on.

Paras 9-17

Johnsy,
Sue

Johnsy decided that

she would die when the
last ivy leaf fell.

Paras 1821

Behrman,
Sue

Sue told Behrman about

Johnsys fancy.

Text Organization
Scene
s

Paragraph Character Events

s
s

Paras 22- Sue,

33
Johnsy

As Johnsy was encouraged

by the last leaf that
wouldnt give in to the
weather, her will to live
returned.

Paras 34- The

37
doctor,
Sue

The doctor told Sue that

Johnsy would recover, but
Behrman caught pneumonia
himself and his case was
hopeless

Paras 38- Sue,

Sue told Johnsy that

Language Study: in tune

in tune: harmonious(ly (often followed
by with; the opposite: out of tune))
Examples:
His ideas are in tune with the times.
The price of gold coins fluctuates in
tune with that of commodities.
Her character is quite out of tune
with her beauty.

Language Study: joint

joint: held or done by two or more persons
together
Examples:

She had taken he money out of the joint

account she had with her husband.

There are a number of different forms of

business ownership, such as partnerships
corporations and joint ventures.

To attract foreign capital, China issued

new economic regulations giving more
preferential treatment to joint ventures.

Language Study: stalk

stalk: (of and evil force) move
through (a place) in a
threatening way, move quietly
and cautiously in order to get
near
Example:
When night falls, danger stalks
the streets of the city.

Language Study: here

and there
here and there: in various places
Example:
During the summer vacation he
will do a bit of teaching here
and there.

Language Study: victim

victim: person, animal, etc.
suffering death, injury or loss
Example:
Police and hospital records
indicate that the majority of
victims of domestic violence are
women.

Language Study: scarcely

scarcely: not quite; almost not
Example:
I can scarcely remember when I
last ate home-baked bread.

Language Study: merry

merry: happy; cheerful; bright and
gay
Example:
From the other room, we could
hear the merry sound of
laughter and glasses clinking.

Language Study:
backward
backward: with the back or end
first
Example:
The helicopter can travel
forward, backward, or sideways.

Language Study: bare

bare: without covering, clothing,
or decoration
Example:
Soil held in place by plant roots
is less likely to blow or wash
away than bare soil.

Language Study: dreary

dreary: dull; gloomy; causing low
spirits
Example:
By the time they had waited five
hours for their delayed flight,
everyone looked dreary.

Language Study: in a
whisper
in a whisper: in a low voice
Example:
He bent down and addressed
her in a whisper.

Language Study: hear of

hear of : be old about or have
knowledge of
Examples:
Three weeks passed, and
nothing was heard of the
missing boy.

Language Study:
nonsense
nonsense: foolish talk, ideas,
behavior
Example:
I think the report is nonsense
and nothing but a waste of
paper.

Language Study: turn

loose
turn loose: allow ( sth.) to be free
of control
Example:
The sick whale will be taken
care of by the scientists before
being turned loose.

Language Study: look the

part
look the part: have an appearance
for a particular job, role, or
position
Example:
I think he must be a captain---he certainly looks the part.

Language Study:
masterpiece
masterpiece: a piece of work, esp.
art, which is the best of its type
or the best a person has done
Example:
The Adventure of Huckleberry
Finn is considered Mark Twains
masterpiece.

Language Study: to
excess
to excess: to an extreme degree
Example:
His father never smoked or
drank to excess.

Language Study: for the

rest
for the rest: as regards other
matters
Example:
The book contains some
interesting passages about the
authors childhood. For the rest,
it is rather dull

Language Study: fierce

fierce: 1) violent and angry
Example:
A fierce police dog was chained to a
wall.
2) intense; strong
Example:
The world is becoming a global
market, and the competition is
fierce.

Language Study: mock

mock: ridicule; make fun of (used
in the pattern: mock at sb./sth.)
Example:
They mocked at him and called
him a coward.

Language Study: fancy

fancy: sth. Imagined; unfounded
opinion or belief
Example:
The river streamed past my
house.

Language Study: stream

stream: move in a continuous flow,
pour out
Example:
The river streamed past my
house.

Language Study:
persistent
persistent: continuing; occurring
again and again
Example:
Neither high prices nor high
wages could explain persistent
depression and mass
unemployment.

Language Study: mingle

mingle: mix (followed by with)
Example:
The singers style mingles jazz
and country music.

Language Study: pull up

pull up: raise
Example:
I sat at my desk, knees pulled
up to my chin.

Language Study: stand

out
stand out: be easily seen above or
among others
Example:
The working experience in
Microsoft last year still stand
out in my mind.

Language Study: wear

away
wear away: 1) (of time) pass gradually
Example:
They didnt reach an agreement.
Instead they wore the afternoon
away in arguing.
2) (cause to) become thin or damaged
by constant use
Example:
The steps have been worn away by
the feet of thousands of visitors.

Language Study: cling to

cling to: hold tight to
Example:
The child is clinging to his
mothers legs.

Language Study: call to

call to: attract the attention of
(sb.) by speaking out
Example:
The fisherman called to the
villagers on the shore.

Language Study: sin

sin: offence against God, religion
or good morals
Example:
In Christian theology, the first
sin was committed by Adam.

Language Study: sit up

sit up: raise yourself into an
upright sitting position after
you have been lying down or
leaning back
Example:
The patient is well enough to sit
up in bed now.

Language Study: acute

acute: 1) (of diseases) coming quickly
to the critical stage
Example:
She was taken to the hospital
suffering from acute appendicitis.
2) severe
Example:
The company is said to be suffering
from acute financial difficulties.

Language Study: be wet

through
be wet through: be wet all over
Example:
My mother came home wet
through.

Language Study: flutter

flutter: (cause to) move about in a
quick, irregular way
Example:
The ugly ducking fluttered into
the milk-pan, and splashed the
milk about the room.

Post-questions: (for group

discussion)
1. Which character in the story
impresses you most? Why?
2. What is the essential message the
writer wants to convey to his
readers through the story? Is it of
social significance? Explain.
3. What do you think can support
you in your moments of
depression, despair or a setback?

Translation
Translate the following passage into
English, using the words and phrases
given below:
Bare
cling to
fancy
here and there
in tune
look the part
masterpiece
persistent
to excess
stand out

Translation: Keys
Here and there we see young artists who
stand out from other people. They may be
in worn out jeans all year round, or walk
barefoot/ in bare feet even in winter, or
drink to excess, or cling to the fancy of
creating a masterpiece without actually
doing any creative work. In fact, many of
them act like this just to look the part, or
to be in tune with other artists. They
have forgotten that only through
persistent effort can one achieve success.

Test B: Key words

exercises (1)
1. Many campers are tempted by backpacks with
extra_______, zippers and other options, but a
simple, well-made pack is sufficient on most
trips.
2. Born in Boston, American natural history writer
Elizabeth Cary was educated at home because of
________health.
3. Abstract expressionism involves_______ and
splashing paint in an impulsive, loosely
controlled manner without any predetermined
design.
4. Biological clocks release a hormone that__________
complex behaviors in humans and animals alike.
5. __________, play fair. That is what every mother
teaches her child to do.

6.

Test B: Key words

exercises
(2)
Early women basketball players were prohibited

from______ the ball from the hands of another

player.
7. The Ford Trimotor, the first plane designed to
carry passengers rather than mail, had an interior
cabin with a ceiling high enough for people to walk
down the aisle without________.
8. The Andrew Johnson Homestead, where US
President Johnson lived between 1851 and 1875, is
__________with his original articles.
9. With 1300 meters remaining, Barbara and Decker
Slaney were among the group of leading runners.
However, the two bumped, causing Barbara to
________.
10. Although all Americans do not speak the same way,
their speech _________enough ________so that
American English can be recognized as a variety of
English different from British English, Australian
English, etc.

Test B: Key words

exercises (3)
11. _____________ of the Cluny Museum is a large
beautiful garden.
12. Shellery felt a _______ at her heart at the
sudden attraction of him, the perfect body
and the face that looked so much more
natural and attractive out here in the warm
southern wind.
13. Dealing with your childrens friends who
__________round in the evening calls for
diplomacy and the setting of time limits.
14. Aunt Louise seemed to swell up, her eyes
about to ________of her head.
15. Hearing her baby scream all of a sudden,
Robyn made a _________for the bedroom.

Test B: Key words

exercises (4)
16. Some managed to _________their boat
while others were swept uncontrollably
downstream.
17. When the thief saw a police officer
coming, he ___________in the other
direction.
18. They were working_________ in order to
finish the assignment on time.
19. If you are __________Sam Walton, you will
become a better person.
20. I expect a handsome paycheck when I
_________translating this book.

Keys: Key words

exercises (1)
1. Many campers are tempted by backpacks with
extra _straps_, zippers and other options, but a
simple, well-made pack is sufficient on most
trips.
2. Born in Boston, American natural history writer
Elizabeth Cary was educated at home because of
_frail_ health.
3. Abstract expressionism involves _ dripping_ and
splashing paint in an impulsive, loosely
controlled manner without any predetermined
design.
4. Biological clocks release a hormone that _ swiches
on_ complex behaviors in humans and animals
alike.
5. _Behave yourself_, play fair. That is what every
mother teaches her child to do.

6.

Keys: Key words

exercises
(2)
Early women basketball players were prohibited

from _snatching_ the ball from the hands of another

player.
7. The Ford Trimotor, the first plane designed to carry
passengers rather than mail, had an interior cabin
with a ceiling high enough for people to walk down
the aisle without _stooping_.
8. The Andrew Johnson Homestead, where US
President Johnson lived between 1851 and 1875, is
_furnished_ with his original articles.
9. With 1300 meters remaining, Barbara and Decker
Slaney were among the group of leading runners.
However, the two bumped, causing Barbara to _ lose
her balance_.
10. Although all Americans do not speak the same way,
their speech _has_ enough _in common_ so that
American English can be recognized as a variety of
English different from British English, Australian
English, etc.

Keys: Key words

exercises (3)
11. _At the rear of_ of the Cluny Museum is a
large beautiful garden.
12. Shellery felt a _tug_ at her heart at the
sudden attraction of him, the perfect body
and the face that looked so much more
natural and attractive out here in the warm
southern wind.
13. Dealing with your childrens friends who
_pop_ round in the evening calls for
diplomacy and the setting of time limits.
14. Aunt Louise seemed to swell up, her eyes
about to _pop out_ of her head.
15. Hearing her baby scream all of a sudden,
Robyn made a _dash_ for the bedroom.

Keys: Key words

exercises (4)
16. Some managed to _catch hold of_ their
boat while others were swept
uncontrollably downstream.
17. When the thief saw a police officer
coming, he _took off_ in the other
direction.
18. They were working _(at) full blast_ in
order to finish the assignment on time.
19. If you are _in contact with_ Sam Walton,
you will become a better person.
20. I expect a handsome paycheck when I
_am/get through with_ translating this
book.

Test B: Comprehension
Check
Choose the best answer for each of
the following:
1. The boy fell because____
A. the lady pushed him
B. the purse was heavy
C. it was dark
D. he was running too fast

2. The first thing the lady did was

to_____
A. make the boy pick up her purse
B. make the boy apologize
C. shake the boy
D. kick the boy

3. In answer to the womans

question, the boy____
A. lied
B. replied truthfully
C. cried
D. stayed silent

4.
We can infer that the
woman___
A. owned the house
B. rented the house
C. rented a room in the house
D. none of the above

5.
We can learn from the
story that the boy____
A. was beaten by his parents
B. had no parents to care for him
C. was stealing because he was
hungry
D. disliked school

6.

The woman told the boy that____

A. she too had been poor, but had not
tried to steal
B. she had also done bad things when
she was young
C. she knew he was lying when he said
he wanted the money for shoes
D. she knew it was like to have no one
to care for one

Comprehension Check:
Keys
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

B
D
B
C
B
B