• • Run this 18-minute session by giving learners 6 minutes to read and 12 minutes for questions.
• • Use the explanations that appear after each answer.

• • First, read the whole text once to see how time changed from town to country.
• • Next, answer the questions in order without looking for just one matching word.

A

Before railways, each town in Britain kept its own local time based on the sun. This created confusion as train travel spread across the country. To solve the problem, the Railway Clearing House recommended that all rail lines adopt Greenwich time in December 1847. This system was widely known as "Railway Time". Soon, station clocks displayed this unified time, though it was not until 1880 that Greenwich Mean Time officially became the legal standard time across Britain.

B

Across the Atlantic, the United States faced an even greater challenge, with dozens of rail companies operating on their own separate schedules. In October 1883, rail managers agreed to adopt a unified plan proposed by William F. Allen. On 18 November 1883, railway stations across the continent adjusted their clocks at midday. This historic event became known as the "Day of Two Noons", because church bells and civic clocks in several cities struck twelve twice to bring local time into line with the new standard.

C

The drive for worldwide coordination culminated at the International Meridian Conference held in Washington, D.C. On 13 October 1884, delegates voted to establish Greenwich as the initial prime meridian. The vote passed decisively by 22 to 1, with San Domingo voting against the measure, while France and Brazil abstained. The main argument for choosing Greenwich was practical rather than political: the majority of international nautical charts used by sailors already relied on Greenwich.

D

Looking back, standard time seems to have begun simply as a practical solution to an immediate practical problem. I think the transition required many years and the quiet cooperation of many people rather than a sudden decree. Moreover, the available historical data does not clearly reveal which particular social group gained the greatest economic benefit from the shift.

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____ A. It was strongly supported by the voting delegations from France and Brazil. ____ B. Most navigational charts used by mariners were already based on Greenwich. ____ C. A neutral country proposed Greenwich as a compromise. ____ D. It was mandated by British legal legislation passed in 1880.

____ A. It was introduced primarily to enrich a single commercial transport sector. ____ B. It came about quickly because of strict centralized government decrees. ____ C. It originated as a pragmatic answer that needed long-term collective effort. ____ D. It created ongoing disputes between railway managers and naval officers.

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