SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT FOR THE SECTION
Subject: English
Grade: 11
Section: Timekeeping Devices
Learning Objectives:
11.4.2 - understand specific information and detail in extended texts on a wide range of familiar and unfamiliar general and curricular topics.
11.5.1 - plan, write, edit and proofread work at text level independently on a wide range of general and curricular topics.
Total Marks: 20
Variant 1
Task 1. Reading Comprehension (LO 11.4.2) [8 marks]
Read the text and complete the tasks below.
The Evolution of Timekeeping: From Sundials to Atomic Clocks
For millennia, humanity's relationship with time has been defined by the devices used to measure it. The earliest timekeepers, like sundials and water clocks (clepsydra), relied on natural phenomena. While revolutionary for their eras, they were notoriously inaccurate and weather-dependent. The mechanical clock, emerging in medieval Europe, marked a paradigm shift. Powered by weights and gears, it introduced the concept of equal hours to public life, often adorning church towers. The quest for precision at sea, crucial for navigation, led to John Harrison's marine chronometer in the 18th century, solving the longitude problem. The 20th century brought about quartz crystal oscillations, making accurate timekeeping accessible. Today, atomic clocks, which measure the vibration of cesium atoms, define the second with unimaginable precision, forming the backbone of GPS and global communications. This journey reflects not just technological progress, but a fundamental shift in how societies organize and perceive time itself.
A. Choose the correct answer (1-4). [4 marks]
1. What was the main drawback of early timekeeping devices like sundials?
a) They were too expensive.
b) They were inaccurate and weather-dependent.
c) They could not be used at night.
d) They were too large.
2. What major concept did mechanical clocks introduce?
a) Digital displays.
b) The measurement of seconds.
c) Equal hours for public use.
d) Solar time.
3. What problem did John Harrison's marine chronometer solve?
a) Measuring latitude.
b) Telling time at home.
c) The longitude problem for navigation.
d) Creating portable sundials.
4. Which modern device relies on the precision of atomic clocks?
a) Mechanical wristwatches.
b) Water clocks.
c) GPS systems.
d) Sand hourglasses.
B. Find specific information in the text. (5-8) [4 marks]
5. Name two early timekeeping devices mentioned in the text.
6. What powered the first mechanical clocks?
7. What natural element do atomic clocks use to measure time?
8. According to the text, what does the evolution of timekeeping reflect about society?