Light in the Night
by Claire Horsburgh
Comprehension
1. Answer the following questions.
a. Before street lamps were introduced, what did people do on cloudless, moonlit nights? Why did they need to wait for these weather conditions?
= Before street lamps were introduced, on cloudless, moonlit nights, people would take advantage of the moonlight and go out to socialize.
They needed to wait for these weather conditions because night time in the city could be dangerous.
b. Before street lamps were introduced, what were the dangers that people faced if they went out at night?
= Before street lamps were introduced, if they went out at night, people could trip, fall and injured themselves. If they fell in the river, they could drown. They could be attacked or robbed by criminals who roamed the streets. They could easily get lost.
c. Who were link boys and what did they do?
= Link boys would hold a burning torch or lamp ahead of people so that they could see the way through the dark streets for a small fee. Some of these link boys were dishonest and would rob the people who had employed them and then run off and leave them in the dark.
d. What did the work of a lamp lighter involve?
= A lamplighter had to keep the lights clean, make sure the wicks were trimmed to the right length, light tens of lamps in the evening and put them all out again in the morning.
e. Roughly how many gas lamps are there in London today?
= There are 1,500 gas lamps in London today.
f. How many people are employed to light the lamps today?
= Five people are employed to light the lamps today.
g. What were some of the unpleasant aspects of the early oil lamps?
= The oil lamps required a lot of work such as changing the smelly oil and replacing and trimming wicks.
h. What was dangerous about the gas lamps that were introduced in the 1800s?
= The gas lamps that were introduced in the 1800s, would blow up every now and then.
i. What powers modern street lamps?
= Electricity powers modern street lamps.
These questions are more difficult. Discuss them first.
j. What did the German tourist in London say was the effect of the street lamps?
= The German tourist said that it was dark when he came for the last time, but now he is astonished at the admirable lighting of the city. The bright light had made the city seem exciting and lively. The lights were so near to each other. Even in ordinary nights, the city had the appearance of a festive illumination.
k. How did the introduction of gas lamps change the work of a lamplighter?
=When gas lamps started to be used from 1805 onwards, they changed the work of the lamplighters. The gas lamps were much quicker to light and didn't require the lots of the work of the oil lamps such as changing the smelly oil and replacing and trimming wicks. Some of the lamplighters felt like their job was not the same anymore.
2. Copy out the sentences that are true. Change the sentences that are not true so that they are correct and write them out.
a. London had street lamps before Paris. [F]
= Paris had street lamps before London.
b. London grew rapidly in the 1700s. [T]
c. Lamplighters work all day. [F]
= Lamplighters work twice a day.
d. The oil lamps used to give off a pleasant smell. [F]
= The oil lamps used to give off a unpleasant smell.
e. Lamplighters used ladders to climb up and light the oil lamps. [T]
f. Charles Dickens was a lamplighter. [F]
= Charles Dickens was a story writer.
3. Answer the questions with reference to context.
a. "The authorities realized the benefits they bought and took over the installation and maintenance of them."
i. What is meant by 'the authorities'?
= 'The authorities' meant the municipal corporations of the contemporary cities.
ii. What were the benefits of having street lamps?
= Having the street lamps, the night life of the cities became more safe. People got the courage to get out of their houses in the evening and at night. The chances of accidents and robbery decreased a lot. The cities at night became exciting and lively.
b. "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."
i. Who said this?
= One character of Charles Dickens' story 'The Lamplighter', said this.
ii. The three sections that are underlined are examples of old-fashioned language. Discuss what each one means and write down your answers.
= Going the round means to go again and again to do a certain type of task. 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 on around them.
When one feels in spirit means to get astonished or get surprised in an annoying way. Men and women in good dress, going under the lamp posts, used to find drops of oil dripping on their hats and bonnets which made their journey spoilt.
Any low fellow means a short person. The gas lamps were much quicker to light and did not require lots of the works of the oil lamps. No one needed to climb on the ladder to the lamp posts. Any short height individual could light them.