HUE UNIVERSITY
INFORMATICS AND OPEN INSTITUTE
Full name: NGUYỄN THỊ HỒNG NGỌCN THỊ HỒNG NGỌC HỒNG NGỌCNG NGỌCC
Date of birth: 13/10/1992
ID: 7052900468
AMERICAN LITERATURE 1&2
Part 1. Write a short professional bio data about your profession,
responsibilities, education, interests and current work (no more than
150 words).
My full name is Nguyen Thi Hong Ngoc. I graduated with a good result
from Hanoi University of Science and Technology in 2015. Now I’m
working as an Administrative Assistant with five years of experience
working with the executive team of a foreign company in Vinh city. I
specialize in high technology and take responsibility for educating other
employees on using progressive systems and applications, including
accounting software, mass communication procedures and
organizational apps. I am a creative and energetic leader in the workplace
and I use my positive attitude to encourage other people to work hard
and succeed. In daily life, I am inspired by my husband and my two
daughters. As for my hobby, I like to hike and play badminton with my
family members.
Part 2. Choose one of these questions which are given in the task and
answer it in a 300-words essay
9. How is love shown in the story The Gift of the Magi? Do you think that love is
selfless? Today many marriages are based on materialistic factors, do you
think couples will have happy lives forever?
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In the “Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry, there are many ideas about love
and selflessness. These concepts are communicated throughout the story
through Della and Jim’s hardships. The couple is unprivileged, but they seem
to sacrifice what they have, to bring happiness to the other, like the Magi. In
the end, both find enjoyment in their gifts since they sacrificed something they
love, but it shows how much they love one another. I am of the same opinion
as the author that love is shown through selfless acts for others’ happiness.
I think that money can’t buy happiness. It means that true happiness
comes from within, not from possessions that can be bought. Beyond the
ability to pay bills, happiness is a state of mind that is short-lived when a
person bases it on physical objects.
People who are materialistic tend to be narcissistic and concerned with
impressing people. They tend to be anxious, depressed, have relatively poor
relationship skills, and have low self-esteem. These qualities in turn can cause
marital problems.
Of course, we still need to pay our bills and save for the future. Money
buys peace of mind when we can live within our budget and save for the
future. At present, couples will sleep better knowing they have some money in
reserve in the event of an emergency.
In a survey of 1,700 married couples, researchers found that couples in
which one or both partners placed a high priority on getting or spending
money were much less likely to have satisfying and stable marriages
(ABCNews, 2011). The research has turned up compelling evidence that
materialism isn't great for anybody. Multiple studies have found that people
who are materialistic are also more anxious, depressed, and insecure than
non-materialistic types. A stronger love of money has also been linked to
trouble at home, as these individuals tend not to balance family evenly with
work.