Grade – 7 Unit - 2

Prose: January Night

Vocabulary:

1 Whimper moan, /ˈwɪmpə/ Whim - per to make a series

weep, of small, weak
complain, sounds expressing
fuss pain or
unhappiness
2 Illuminate light up, /ɪ Il – lu – mi - nate to light something
brighten ˈl(j)uːmɪneɪt/ and make it
brighter
3 Triumph victory, /ˈtrʌɪʌmf/ Tri - umph a great victory or
success achievement
4 Flicker gleam, /ˈflɪkə/ Flick - er to shine with a
oscillation light that is
sometimes bright
and sometimes
weak
5 Graze feed, /ɡreɪz/ Graze (Of cattle, sheep,
munch etc.) eat grass in a
field
6 Extinguish put out, /ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/ Ex – tin - guish to stop a fire or a
quench, light burning
terminate
Antonyms:

1. Wrap x uncover, expose

2. Underneath x above, over, on top, on the surface
3. Torment x please, satisfy
4. Hesitate x volunteer, willing
5. Insult x appreciates, applaud

Frame the Sentences:

1. Gather – They quickly gathered to make a decision.

2. Destroy – We know it is easier to destroy than to create.
3. Challenge – It was a big challenge for us.
4. Poverty - Bringing an end to poverty then, will also help bring an end to
hunger.
5. Landlord - The Indian law of landlord and tenant is described in the
article Indian Law.

ERC:

1. Halku came in and said to his wife, The landlord’s come! Get the rupees
you set aside. I’ll give him the money and somehow or other we’ll get
along without it.’
a. Who was Halku?
Ans: Halku was a tenant farmer.
b. Why did Halku decide to pay off the landlord with the money he had
saved up for the blanket?
Ans: Halku did not want to be abused and insulted by his landlord for
not paying the rent.
c. What kind of women was Munni?
 Ans: Munni was the wife of Halku. As a typical housewife, she was
very concerned about her incomes and husband. However, she was in
great troubles due to poverty.

2. ‘Yes, the whole fields ruined. And you could sleep like that! Why did you
bother to put up the shelter anyway?’
a. What happened to their field?
Ans: Halku went there with his dog Jabra to secure the field but the
wild animals ruined his field.
b. How did Halku take his failure?
Ans: Halku took this very lightly. He said that now, at least, I won’t
have to go out in the night.
c. Why did Munni suggest Halku to give up tenant farming?
Ans:  Munni advised Halku to give up farming and to work as a hired
labour. By doing so he at least got enough food to eat from it. He
should not have to pay land rent. In farming whatever he earned he
threw back into it and got insulted in the bargain.

Short Answers:

1. Why did Halku hesitate the first time his wife spoke to him?
2. What does ‘paying arrears’ mean?
3. Why are Halku’s words compared to those of a charging beast?
4. How do you think Munni reacted to Halku’s last remark?
5. How did Halku measure time as he sat in the cold?

Detailed Answer:

1. What tells you that Jabra would have been more comfortable at home?
2. How would you explain the happiness that Halku felt when he picked up
Jabra and laid him on his lap?
3. Narrate two instances from the text that tell you that Halku was reluctant
to get up from near the fire and go to his field.
4. Why do you think Halku didn’t want to become a hired labourer?