Answer:
7. Why the wife thinks she cannot go to the reception. Because she does not have a suitable dress to wear to the Minister of Education's party.
8. The wife’s name is Mathilde Loisel.
9. Amount of money she thinks she will need for a new dress is "four hundred francs."
Explanation:
The given excerpt is from the short story "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant. It revolves around a woman who lost her borrowed necklace just to look "presentable enough" to others, to try to 'copy others'. This led her and her husband to give up their life savings to pay back for the lost necklace.
The wife's name is Mathilde Loisel and she wasn't happy to get the invitation to the party as she felt she doesn't have a dress good enough to wear. So, to make his wife happy, Mr. Loisel asked her how much it will cost her to buy a new dress, to which she replied <em>"four hundred francs".</em>
