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A BIT OF HISTORY
ENG
In ancient times, primitive humans did not measure the passage of time. They woke up when the sun rose
and went to sleep when it got dark. The time when it was bright was called daytime, and the time when
it was dark was called nighttime. As civilization developed, it became more and more necessary to have
a precise measurement of the moments of day and night, to know the right time to eat, to sleep, to work...
So the day was divided into 24 parts, called hours. Every hour is made up of 60 minutes and every minute
has 60 seconds.
THE CLOCK
Man created an instrument to measure time: the
clock. A clock has a face which shows the numbers
from 1 to 12, and two hands, one long and one short,
which turn at different speeds.
The shorter, slower hand shows hours. In one day
this hand makes two complete trips around the
clock face.
The longer, faster hand shows minutes and in one
day it goes around the clock 24 times.
HOW LONG?
To get an idea of how long a second lasts, or a min-
ute or an hour, here are some things you can do in
these times:
one second
In
I can:
- kick a football
- eat a spoonful of yoghurt
- open a door
The hour
hand
a minute
In
I can:
- prepare my schoolbag
- go downstairs
- sharpen the pencil
The minute
hand
an hour
In
I can:
- do my homework
- have a judo lesson
- read a fairy tale
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