1. A History of Telling Time
New Password 4, Chapter 9
A History of Telling Time

2. Pre-reading Questions

3. What do we use to tell the time?
What other ways are there to find out about the time?
How many times do you look to find out the time?
a b c. more than 10
Life without clocks would be beautiful/terrible. What do you think?

4. Pre-reading Vocabulary

5. What are they?

6. What are they?
an obelisk
a sundial
an hourglass

7. BCE
abbreviation for a period of time
Before the Common Era (also written BC, “before Christ”)
Example Sentence:
In 100 BCE the Romans were in power.

8. spring
Example Sentence:
There is a spring inside my pen.

9. A grandfather clock
an example of a pendulum clock
Example Sentence:
There’s a grandfather clock in the hall.

10. a nanosecond
noun
1/1,000,000,000 (one billionth of a second)
Example Sentence:
This photo was taken within a nanosecond.

11. Fast Reading

12. Vocabulary
Introduction
Target Words

13. measure
verb: to find the size, height, length, or amount of something
Example Sentence:
This machine measures your weight.

14. technology
noun: all the information, methods, tools, machines etc. used to produce something often in science and industry
Example Sentence:
Thanks to technology, Americans stepped foot on the Moon.

15. attend
verb: be present at an event etc.
Example Sentence:
Over two hundred people attended the funeral.

16. event
noun: a planned public or social occasion like a wedding or a party
Example Sentence:
This year’s Olympic Games will be the biggest sporting event ever.

17. shadow
noun: a dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface
Example Sentence:
The children were playing, jumping on each other’s shadows.

18. equal
adjective: being the same
Example Sentence:
All people are equal, deserving the same rights as each other.

19. fairly
adverb: quite
Example Sentences:
It looks fairly sweet.

20. portable
adjective: able to be easily carried
Example Sentence:
Laptop is a portable computer.

21. drip
verb: fall
Example Sentence:
I see that water is dripping.

22. constant
adjective: not changing
Example Sentence:
He’s in constant trouble with the police.

23. container
noun: something that can be filled
Example Sentence:
You can use this container for soup.

24. accurate
adjective: exact, certain, true
Example Sentence:
We hope to become more accurate in predicting earthquakes.

25. transportation
noun: moving something or someone from a place to another
Example Sentence:
We will hire a truck for transportation when we move.

26. modern
adjective: new
Example Sentence:
This room has a modern design. It doesn’t look old or traditional.

27. high-tech
adjective:
made up by a very high technology
Example Sentence:
My latest mobile phone is high-tech.

28. Reading Race

29. True or False. Quick Comprehension Check 1
True or False? Quick Comprehension Check People first measured time by the sun, moon and stars. True or False
Answer: True

30. True or False. Quick Comprehension Check 2
True or False? Quick Comprehension Check People invented ways to tell the time so they would know when to meet. True or False
Answer: True

31. True or False. Quick Comprehension Check 3
True or False? Quick Comprehension Check Water clocks depended on the sun. True or False
Answer: False

32. True or False. Quick Comprehension Check 4
True or False? Quick Comprehension Check Knowing the exact time is more important today than it was long ago. True or False
Answer: True

33. True or False. Quick Comprehension Check 5
True or False? Quick Comprehension Check Clocks have not changed much in the last 200 years. True or False
Answer: False

34. True or False. Quick Comprehension Check 6
True or False? Quick Comprehension Check The earth takes exactly 365 days to circle the sun. True or False
Answer: False

35. How is the reading “A History of Telling Time” organized?
1. The writer compares and contrasts ways that different cultures measure time.
2. The writer describes developments in measuring time in chronological order.
3. The writer presents arguments for and against the idea of measuring time.

36. Exploring Vocabulary- pp. 112-113

37. Scan the reading for information on these topics
Scan the reading for information on these topics. Number them in order from 1 (the earliest development) to 8 (the most recent).
Countries around the world had to agree on the exact time.
People measured time by the sun, moon and stars.
Peter Henlein invented a spring-powered clock.
The Egyptian shadow clock, the first portable clock, was invented.
People used hourglasses.
Christiaan Huygens invented a pendulum clock.
The first mechanical clocks appeared in public buildings in Italy.
The Egyptians built obelisks to help them tell time.

38. Scan the reading for information on these topics
Scan the reading for information on these topics. Number them in order from 1 (the earliest development) to 8 (the most recent).
Countries around the world had to agree on the exact time.
1. People measured time by the sun, moon and stars.
Peter Henlein invented a spring-powered clock.
The Egyptian shadow clock, the first portable clock, was invented.
People used hourglasses.
Christiaan Huygens invented a pendulum clock.
The first mechanical clocks appeared in public buildings in Italy.
The Egyptians built obelisks to help them tell time.

39. Scan the reading for information on these topics
Scan the reading for information on these topics. Number them in order from 1 (the earliest development) to 8 (the most recent).
Countries around the world had to agree on the exact time.
1. People measured time by the sun, moon and stars.
Peter Henlein invented a spring-powered clock.
The Egyptian shadow clock, the first portable clock, was invented.
People used hourglasses.
Christiaan Huygens invented a pendulum clock.
The first mechanical clocks appeared in public buildings in Italy.
2. The Egyptians built obelisks to help them tell time.

40. Scan the reading for information on these topics
Scan the reading for information on these topics. Number them in order from 1 (the earliest development) to 8 (the most recent).
Countries around the world had to agree on the exact time.
1. People measured time by the sun, moon and stars.
Peter Henlein invented a spring-powered clock.
3. The Egyptian shadow clock, the first portable clock, was invented.
People used hourglasses.
Christiaan Huygens invented a pendulum clock.
The first mechanical clocks appeared in public buildings in Italy.
2. The Egyptians built obelisks to help them tell time.

41. Scan the reading for information on these topics
Scan the reading for information on these topics. Number them in order from 1 (the earliest development) to 8 (the most recent).
Countries around the world had to agree on the exact time.
1. People measured time by the sun, moon and stars.
Peter Henlein invented a spring-powered clock.
3. The Egyptian shadow clock, the first portable clock, was invented.
4. People used hourglasses.
Christiaan Huygens invented a pendulum clock.
The first mechanical clocks appeared in public buildings in Italy.
2. The Egyptians built obelisks to help them tell time.

42. Scan the reading for information on these topics
Scan the reading for information on these topics. Number them in order from 1 (the earliest development) to 8 (the most recent).
Countries around the world had to agree on the exact time.
1. People measured time by the sun, moon and stars.
Peter Henlein invented a spring-powered clock.
3. The Egyptian shadow clock, the first portable clock, was invented.
4. People used hourglasses.
Christiaan Huygens invented a pendulum clock.
5. The first mechanical clocks appeared in public buildings in Italy.
2. The Egyptians built obelisks to help them tell time.

43. Scan the reading for information on these topics
Scan the reading for information on these topics. Number them in order from 1 (the earliest development) to 8 (the most recent).
Countries around the world had to agree on the exact time.
1. People measured time by the sun, moon and stars.
6. Peter Henlein invented a spring-powered clock.
3. The Egyptian shadow clock, the first portable clock, was invented.
4. People used hourglasses.
Christiaan Huygens invented a pendulum clock.
5. The first mechanical clocks appeared in public buildings in Italy.
2. The Egyptians built obelisks to help them tell time.

44. Scan the reading for information on these topics
Scan the reading for information on these topics. Number them in order from 1 (the earliest development) to 8 (the most recent).
Countries around the world had to agree on the exact time.
1. People measured time by the sun, moon and stars.
6. Peter Henlein invented a spring-powered clock.
3. The Egyptian shadow clock, the first portable clock, was invented.
4. People used hourglasses.
7. Christiaan Huygens invented a pendulum clock.
5. The first mechanical clocks appeared in public buildings in Italy.
2. The Egyptians built obelisks to help them tell time.

45. Scan the reading for information on these topics
Scan the reading for information on these topics. Number them in order from 1 (the earliest development) to 8 (the most recent).
8. Countries around the world had to agree on the exact time.
1. People measured time by the sun, moon and stars.
6. Peter Henlein invented a spring-powered clock.
3. The Egyptian shadow clock, the first portable clock, was invented.
4. People used hourglasses.
7. Christiaan Huygens invented a pendulum clock.
5. The first mechanical clocks appeared in public buildings in Italy.
2. The Egyptians built obelisks to help them tell time.

46. Scanning: Read these statements about the reading
Scanning: Read these statements about the reading. Scan the reading for the information you need to complete them.
1. People in and were the first to develop ways to tell the time of day.

47. Scanning Answers:
1. People in North Africa and the Middle East were the first to develop ways to tell the time of day.

48. Scanning
2. People started needing clocks and setting times to meet after they developed and

49. Scanning Answers:
2. People started needing clocks and setting times to meet after they developed organised religious and social activities.

50. Scanning
3. Obelisks and depended on the sun.

51. Scanning Answers:
3. Obelisks and sundials depended on the sun.

52. Scanning
4. A measured time by filling up a container with water or emptying out at a constant rate.

53. Scanning Answers:
4. A water clock measured time by filling up a container with water or emptying out at a constant rate.

54. Scanning
5. The first really accurate clock was a clock, invented in the year

55. Scanning Answers:
5. The first really accurate clock was a pendulum clock, invented in the year 1656.

56. Scanning
6. The best atomic clocks are accurate to

57. Scanning Answers:
6. The best atomic clocks are accurate to about one tenth of a nanosecond a day.

58. Scanning
7. It takes days and hours for the earth to circle the sun.

59. Scanning Answers:
7. It takes 365 days and almost 6 hours for the earth to circle the sun.

60. Scanning
8. A year with 366 days is called a

61. Scanning Answers:
8. A year with 366 days is called a leap year.

62. Understanding Reference Words
Remember: A reference word takes the place of a noun or a noun phrase. It refers back to someone or something already named.
Pronouns such as he, she, it, and them are reference words. The words one, ones, this, that, these, and those can also be reference words.

63. What do the boldfaced reference words mean in these sentences?
1. Paragraph 2: They needed some kind of clock

64. Reference Words Answers:
1. Paragraph 2: They needed some kind of clock ... People in North Africa and the Middle East.

65. Reference Words
2. Paragraph 2: ... and set times for these events

66. Reference Words Answers:
2. Paragraph 2: ... and set times for these events. organised religious and social activities

67. Reference Words
3. Paragraph 4: All of them, of course, depended

68. Reference Words Answers:
3. Paragraph 4: All of them, of course, depended ... the various types of sundials

69. Reference Words
4. Paragraph 8: However, this creates another problem

70. Reference Words Answers:
4. Paragraph 8: However, this creates another problem. adding a day (February 29) every fourth year

71. Reference Words
5. Paragraph 8: We do it only when

72. Reference Words Answers:
5. Paragraph 8: We do it only when ... have a leap year / add a day