A Chronicle of Timekeeping Reading Answers

Feb 1, 2023

A Chronicle of Timekeeping Reading Answers contains sample answers about the measurement of time years ago. A Chronicle of Timekeeping Reading Answers comprising 13 different types of questions. IELTS A Chronicle of Timekeeping Reading Answers contains three types of questions, namely: identify the paragraph, match the event with correct nationality and label the diagram.Candidates are required to read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly and answer which paragraph contains the stated information. Candidates are supposed to match the given events with correct nationality by choosing the correct letter. To label the diagram, candidates are required to choose no more than two words from the passage for each blank.To gain proficiency, candidates can practise from the IELTS Reading practice papers

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

A Chronicle of Timekeeping Reading Answers

According to archaeological evidence, at least 5, 000 years ago, and long before the advent of the Roman Empire, the Babylonians began to measure time, introducing calendars to coordinate communal activities, to plan the shipment of goods and, in particular, to regulate planting and harvesting. They based their calendars on three natural cycles: the solar day, marked by the successive periods of light and darkness as the earth rotates on its axis; the lunar month, following the phases of the moon as it orbits the earth; and the solar year, defined by the changing seasons that accompany our planet’s revolution around the sun.
Before the invention of artificial light, the moon had greater social impact. And, for those living near the equator, in particular, its waxing and waning were more conspicuous than the passing of the seasons. Hence, the calendars that were developed at the lower latitudes were influenced more by the lunar cycle than by the solar year. In more northern climes, however, where seasonal agriculture was practised, the solar year became more crucial. As the Roman Empire expanded northward, it organised its activity chart for the most part around the solar year.
Centuries before the Roman Empire, the Egyptians had formulated a municipal calendar having 12 months of 30 days, with five days added to approximate the solar year. Each period of ten days was marked by the appearance of special groups of stars called decans. At the rise of the star Sirius just before sunrise, which occurred around the all-important annual flooding of the Nile, 12 decans could be seen spanning the heavens. The cosmic significance the Egyptians placed in the 12 decans led them to develop a system in which each interval of darkness (and later, each interval of daylight) was divided into a dozen equal parts. These periods became known as temporal hours because their duration varied according to the changing length of days and nights with the passing of the seasons. Summer hours were long, winter ones short; only at the spring and autumn equinoxes were the hours of daylight and darkness equal. Temporal hours, which were first adopted by the Greeks and then the Romans, who disseminated them through Europe, remained in use for more than 2, 500 years.
In order to track temporal hours during the day, inventors created sundials, which indicate time by the length or direction of the sun’s shadow. The sundial’s counterpart, the water clock, was designed to measure temporal hours at night. One of the first water clocks was a basin with a small hole near the bottom through which the water dripped out. The falling water level denoted the passing hour as it dipped below hour lines inscribed on the inner surface. Although these devices performed satisfactorily around the Mediterranean, they could not always be depended on in the cloudy and often freezing weather of northern Europe.
The advent of the mechanical clock meant that although it could be adjusted to maintain temporal hours, it was naturally suited to keeping equal ones. With these, however, arose the question of when to begin counting, and so, in the early 14th century, a number of systems evolved. The schemes that divided the day into 24 equal parts varied according to the start of the count: Italian hours began at sunset, Babylonian hours at sunrise, astronomical hours at midday and ‘great clock’ hours, used for some large public clocks in Germany, at midnight. Eventually, these were superseded by ‘small clock’, or French, hours, which split the day into two 12-hour periods commencing at midnight.
The earliest recorded weight-driven mechanical clock was built in 1283 in Bedfordshire in England. The revolutionary aspect of this new timekeeper was neither the descending weight that provided its motive force nor the gear wheels (which had been around for at least 1, 300 years) that transferred the power; it was the part called the escapement. In the early 1400s came the invention of the coiled spring or fusee which maintained a constant force to the gear wheels of the timekeeper despite the changing tension of its mainspring. By the 16th century, a pendulum clock had been devised, but the pendulum swung in a large arc and thus was not very efficient.
To address this, a variation on the original escapement was invented in 1670, in England. It was called the anchor escapement, which was a lever-based device shaped like a ship’s anchor. The motion of a pendulum rocks this device so that it catches and then releases each tooth of the escape wheel, in turn allowing it to turn a precise amount. Unlike the original form used in early pendulum clocks, the anchor escapement permitted the pendulum to travel in a very small arc. Moreover, this invention allowed the use of a long pendulum which could beat once a second and thus led to the development of a new floor-standing case design, which became known as the grandfather clock.
Today, highly accurate timekeeping instruments set the beat for most electronic devices. Nearly all computers contain a quartz-crystal clock to regulate their operation. Moreover, not only do time signals beamed down from Global Positioning System satellites calibrate the functions of precision navigation equipment, they do so as well for mobile phones, instant stock-trading systems and nationwide power-distribution grids. So integral have these time-based technologies become to day-to-day existence that our dependency on them is recognised only when they fail to work.

Section 2

Solution With Explanation

Questions 1-4
Reading Passage 77 has eight paragraphs, A-H.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 1- 4 on your answer sheet.

A description of an early timekeeping invention affected by cold temperatures

Answer: D
Explanation: As per paragraph D, one of the early water clocks was a basin with a tiny hole towards the bottom through which water dropped. As the water level dropped below the hour lines etched on the inner surface, it indicated the passing hour. Although these gadgets worked well around the Mediterranean, it was difficult to rely on them in northern Europe's overcast, frequently chilly weather. Sundials were thought to be able to provide exact time in lengths and directions by using the sun's shadow to assist keep track of the hours of the day on Earth. It is obvious that this sundial could only be utilised in direct sunlight during the day. Hence, the right answer is option D.
Supporting sentence: One of the first water clocks was a basin with a small hole near the bottom through which the water dripped out. The falling water level denoted the passing hour as it dipped below hour lines inscribed on the inner surface. Although these devices performed satisfactorily around the Mediterranean, they could not always be depended on in the cloudy and often freezing weather of northern Europe.
Keywords: inventors created sundials, could not always be depended on, cloudy, freezing weather, northern Europe
Location in the passage: Paragraph D

An explanation of the importance of geography in the development of the calendar in farming communities

Answer: B
Explanation: According to paragraph B, the moon had a bigger societal impact before man made artificial light. Additionally, the waxing and waning of the equator was more noticeable to people who lived close to it than the changing of the seasons. As a result, the moon cycle rather than the solar year had a greater impact on the calendars that were created in lower latitudes. The solar year, however, became more important in northern climates where seasonal agriculture was practised. Natural light was essential when there was no artificial lighting. The solar year was more important in the northern region since there was seasonal agriculture. Agriculture cannot thrive without sufficient sunlight. Therefore, the right answer is B.
Supporting sentence: Before the invention of artificial light, the moon had greater social impact. And, for those living near the equator, in particular, its waxing and waning were more conspicuous than the passing of the seasons. Hence, the calendars that were developed at the lower latitudes were influenced more by the lunar cycle than by the solar year. In more northern climes, however, where seasonal agriculture was practised, the solar year became more crucial.

Keywords: northern climes, seasonal agriculture, solar year, more crucial
Location in the passage: paragraph B

A description of the origins of the pendulum clock

Answer: F
Explanation: A pendulum clock was invented in the 16th century, according to paragraph F. However, as of its wide arc of swing, the pendulum was not very effective. It says the coiled spring, commonly known as the fusee, was invented in the 1400s. The pendulum clock was invented in the 16th century. This pendulum clock was a piece of equipment that was suspended from the adjustable point and moved back and forth due to gravity. The pendulum makes a wide arc of motion before being stopped by friction, which causes it to finally slow down. Once an external force was applied, the time display would halt and become less accurate. Hence, the answer is F.

Supporting sentence: By the 16th century, a pendulum clock had been devised, but the pendulum swung in a large arc and thus was not very efficient.
Keywords: 16th century, pendulum clock, devised, swung in a large arc, not very efficient
Location in the passage: Paragraph F

Details of the simultaneous efforts of different societies to calculate time using uniform hours

Answer: E
Explanation: According to paragraph E, people in the early 14th century thought that a system needed to develop in order to control time. As they start and conclude their days, various groups set separate zones. For instance, astronomical hours began at midnight, Italian hours at sunset, Babylonian hours at sunrise, and German public spaces employed great clock hours. After that, the "little clock" or French hours, which divided the 24 pieces into two halves, took its place. The day was eventually split into 12 hours, each starting at midnight. Hence, the answer is E.
Supporting sentence: in the early 14th century, a number of systems evolved. The schemes that divided the day into 24 equal parts varied according to the start of the count: Italian hours began at sunset, Babylonian hours at sunrise, astronomical hours at midday and ‘great clock’ hours, used for some large public clocks in Germany, at midnight. Eventually, these were superseded by ‘small clock’, or French, hours, which split the day into two 12-hour periods commencing at midnight.

Keywords: question, when to begin counting, early 14th century, the number of systems evolved
Location in the passage: Paragraph E

Questions 5-8

Look at the following events (Questions 5-8) and the list of nationalities below.
Match each event with the correct nationality, A-F.
Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 5-8 on your answer sheet.

List of Nationalities

Babylonians
Egyptians
Greeks
English
Germans
French

They devised a civil calendar in which the months were equal in length.

Answer: B
Explanation: According to paragraph C, the Egyptians developed a municipal calendar with 12 months of 30 days centuries before the Roman Empire. It has five more days to make it closer to the solar year. Hence, the answer is B.
Supporting sentence: Centuries before the Roman Empire, the Egyptians had formulated a municipal calendar having 12 months of 30 days, with five days added to approximate the solar year.
Keywords: before the Roman Empire, Egyptians, municipal calendar, 12 months of 30 days, with five days added, approximate, solar year
Location in the passage: Paragraph C

They divided the day into two equal halves.

Answer: F
Explanation: According to paragraph E, a plan was hatched in the fourteenth century to split time into 24 equal portions. The French then arrived and created a simple system to recognise the start and conclusion of each day by splitting the 24-hour period into two equal halves. They divided the day into two segments of 12 hours each. Midnight marked the start of the hour, while the conclusion of the day was marked by earlier timing. Therefore, the answer is F.
Supporting sentence: Eventually, these were superseded by ‘small clock’, or French, hours, which split the day into two 12-hour periods commencing at midnight.
Keywords: French, hours, which split the day into two 12-hour periods commencing at midnight
Location in the passage: Paragraph E

They developed a new cabinet shape for a type of timekeeper.

Answer: D
Explanation: According to paragraph E, a plan was hatched in the fourteenth century to split time into 24 equal portions. Then the French arrived and divided the 24-hour period into two equal halves in order to create a fair system for determining the start and finish of each day. They divided the day into two segments of 12 hours each. Midnight marked the start of the hour, while the conclusion of the day was marked by earlier timing. Thus, the right answer is D.
Supporting sentence: To address this, a variation on the original escapement was invented in 1670, in England. It was called the anchor escapement, which was a lever-based device shaped like a ship’s anchor.
Keywords: this invention allowed the use of, timekeeper, cabinet shape
Location in the passage: Paragraph G

They created a calendar to organise public events and work schedules.

Answer: A
Explanation: According to paragraph A, the Babylonians started keeping track of time by creating calendars based on three natural cycles. According to the earth's rotation on its axis, the solar day may be distinguished by the alternating periods of brightness and gloom. The lunar month that coincides with the moon's phases as it orbits the earth. The seasons, which change as the planet revolves around the sun, also helped to define the length of the solar year. Hence, the right answer is A.
Supporting sentence: According to archaeological evidence, at least 5, 000 years ago, and long before the advent of the Roman Empire, the Babylonians began to measure time, introducing calendars to coordinate communal activities, to plan the shipment of goods and, in particular, to regulate planting and harvesting.
Keywords: Babylonians, measure time, calendars, coordinate communal activities, plan, shipment of goods, regulate planting, harvesting
Location in the passage: Paragraph A

Questions 9-13

Label the diagram below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 9-13 in your answer sheet

Question 9-10:

Answer: anchor, Escape wheel, tooth
Explanation: According to paragraph G, several modifications to the original escapement were made in England in 1670. The device, which had a lever-based design and was shaped like a ship's anchor, was then given the name "anchor escapement." Each escape wheel tooth is caught and released one at a time as the device is struck by the bustle of the pendulum, enabling it to release a precise quantity. Each tooth of the escape wheel is caught and released when the pendulum strikes the object due to the motion.
Supporting sentence: It was called the anchor escapement, which was a lever-based device shaped like a ship’s anchor. The motion of a pendulum rocks this device so that it catches and then releases each tooth of the escape wheel, in turn allowing it to turn a precise amount.
Keywords: anchor escapement, lever-based device, ship’s anchor, catches releases each tooth, releases each tooth, escape wheel
Location in the passage: Paragraph G

Question 11-12:

Answer: Long pendulum, second
Explanation: The anchor escapement, according to paragraph G, permitted the pendulum to move in a very small arc. After that, this technology made it possible to use a lengthy pendulum. The development of a new floor-standing case design was prompted by the lengthy pendulum's ability to whip once every second.
Supporting sentence: Moreover, this invention allowed the use of a long pendulum which could beat once a second and thus led to the development of a new floor-standing case design, which became known as the grandfather clock.
Keywords: allowed the use of a long pendulum, long pendulum which could beat once a second
Location in the passage: Paragraph G

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