Light in the Night

Claire Horsburgh

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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Claire Horsburgh has worked as a teacher in the UK for a number of years. She now works closely with her father,
Nicholas Horsburgh, and is also creating a graded reading series for children. Claire began writing professionally in 1974
with the first of numerous freelance writing assignments. Since 1975, She has written Primary School textbooks and
other educational books (mainly for India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) along with her father Nicolas Horsburgh and currently
there are just over 200 of my titles on the market. These are published by Oxford University Press India and Pakistan.

An abridged list of major publications:

•English Junior Dictionary (Vikas Pub. 1978)
•Looking at Life (1983) A series of five EVS/Social Studies books for Primary schools in India.
•Modern English (1984-1987: Revised and adapted, New Oxford Modern English, twice) A series of ten English Readers,
ten Workbooks and Teacher's Guides for Primary and Middle schools in India.
•New World (1990) A series of five EVS/Social Studies books for Primary schools in India.
•Sound English (1990) A series of five Phonic Readers.
•Environmental Studies for Matriculation Schools (Tamil Nadu) Books 1-3.
•Environmental Studies (Gujarat) Workbooks 1-3
•Oxford Primary Science for Pakistan (1990) A series of six Science books, along with Teacher's Guides.
•Oxford Reading Circle (2003, and revisions) A series of nine readers.
•Oxford Reading Treasure (2006) A series of 15 storybooks at 5 levels.

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WORDS TO KNOW

 1. socialize
 2. reassured
 3. enforced
 4. agility
 5. reliability
 6. admirable
 7. foresee
 8. astonished
 9. illumination
 10. fuelled
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SYNONYMS

 1. socialize – get around, mingle

 2. enforced – imposed, prescribed
 3. agility – sharpness, swiftness
 4. reliability – authenticity, accuracy
 5. admirable - laudable, attractive
 6. foresee – perceive, foretell
 7. astonished – amazed, awestruck
 8. illumination – radiance, gleam

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ANTONONYMS

 1. socialize – disconnect, exclude

 2. enforced x prevent, disapprove
 3. agility x slowness
 4. reliability x treachery
 5. astonished x unsurprised
 6. illumination x dullness

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 COMPREHENSION:

1. What is the Theme of the chapter?

Ans: The theme of the chapter is the history of street lights.

2. Who were the link boys and what did they do?
Ans: Link boys were young boys and men, who would, for money, hold a burning lamp or torch ahead of the people so
that they could see their way in the dark.

3. Before streetlamps were introduced, what did people do on cloudless, moonlit nights? Why did they need to wait for
these weather conditions?
Ans: On cloudless moonlit nights, they would take advantage of the moonlight that helped them see, and socialize. They
needed to wait for these weather conditions because otherwise the streets of London would be dark at night.

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4. What did the work of a lamplighter involve?

Ans: The work of a lamplighter was a demanding one. They would have to light each lamp in their assigned area in the
evening, and put it out in the morning. Apart from that, they would also change oil, trim the wicks, and kept the lamps clean.
The royal crest on the lamp posts was also looked after by the lamplighters.

5. What did the German tourist in London say was the effect of the streetlamps?

Ans: The German tourist in London was most impressed when he saw the street lamps. He mentioned that since the lamps are
placed so close to each other, even on the most ordinary nights, the city seems to be celebrating with festive illumination.

6. How did the introduction of gas lamps change the work of a lamplighter?
Ans: Lamplighters had become an important part of society. Their work was tedious and people appreciated them for carrying
it out with great skill. However, the gas lamps that followed oil lamps were much easier to light. No real skill was needed to
take care of the lamps and anyone could do it now. Thus, the work of a lamplighter, with time, became less important.

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REFRENCE TO CONTEXT:

a. ‘There’s no more going the rounds to trim by daylight, no more dribbling down of the oil on the hats and bonnets of
ladies and gentlemen when one feels in spirits. Any low fellow can light a gas-lamp.’

1. Who said this?

Ans: A character in Charles Dickens’ story The Lamplighters says these lines.

2. The three sections that are underlined are examples of old-fashioned language. Discuss what each one means and
write down your answers and explain briefly in reference to the story.

a) ‘Going the rounds’: means going about doing one’s job. The lamplighters had to walk the same route twice a day
and, as they checked, cleaned, fixed, lit or put out the light, they would notice what was going around them.

b) ‘when one feels in spirits’: means when someone is feeling a little sad and low. Ask the students to explain in brief.

c) ‘Any low fellow’ : means any ordinary person without special skills. Ask the students to explain in brief.

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HOTS: Higher Order Thinking Skills Question:

Value Added Questions:

1. Think about where you live; how are the streets lit up at night time? Do you like or
dislike the lighting? How could it be improved?

2. Observe the lampposts in the streets. How do they look? Are they gas lamps or electric street lights?

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