Screening Test,: 134 Words
Screening Test,: 134 Words
Read each selection silently. Then read the questions that follow and write the letter of the
correct answer in the answer sheet:
A. Telling Time
Humans have used different objects to tell time. In the beginning, they
used an hourglass. This is a cylindrical glass with a narrow center which
allows sand to flow from its upper to its lower portion. Once all the sand has
trickled to the lower portion, one knows that an hour has passed. Using the
same idea, water clocks were constructed to measure time by having water
flow through a narrow passage from one container to another. On the other
hand, sundials allowed people to estimate an hour by looking at the position
of the shadow cast by the sun on a plate. At night, people measured time by
checking the alignment of the stars in the sky. None of these were accurate,
though. The clock was the first accurate instrument for telling time.
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1. Which of the following ways of telling time made use of sand? (Literal)
a. water clocks b. hourglass
c. sundials d. clock
2. None of the clocks used long ago were accurate. Accurate in the sentence means (Inferential)
a. free from error b. comparable
c. very useful d. efficient
3. When men of long ago told time at night, they looked at the _________ to tell the time.
(Literal)
a. cloud formation b. moon
c. stars d. sun
4. The sundials may not be useful in telling time ______________________. (Inferential)
a. at noontime b. in the morning
c. during a rainy day d. when the sun shines brightly
5. How are the hourglass and the water clock similar? (Inferential)
a. Both tell time by the hour.
b. Both use water to tell time.
c. Both are used only in the daytime.
d. Both have a narrow center through which something flows.
6. The best title of the selection is ______________________. (Critical)
a. The Uses of Clocks
b. Why People Need to Tell Time
c. Ways of Telling Time: Then and Now
d. Comparing the Different Types of Clocks
When men decided to divide the day into twenty-four hours, they used numbers
one through twelve two times. As a result, there was one o’clock during the day
and another one o’clock after midnight. This created confusion. If one was told
to submit a project at six o’clock, did this mean six o’clock in the morning or at
night?
The Romans provided a solution to this problem. They thought that noon time,
the time when the sun is at its apex, is an important time. They called noon
Meridies and measured time by this. They called the morning ante meridiem,
which means “before noon” while “after noon” was called post meridiem. Ante
meridiem was shortened to A.M. while post meridiem was shortened to P.M.
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8. When the day was divided into twenty-four hours, what numbers were used to express time?
(Literal)
a. one to six b. one to twelve
c. one to thirty-six d. one to twenty four
9. Having one number to express time twice caused confusion. In this selection confusion may
mean _______________________. (Inferential)
a. differences b. discussions
c. problems d. mistakes
10. The Romans thought of a solution. This means that they provided _________. (Inferential)
a. an answer to the problem b. a better interpretation
c. a new set of numbers d. another clock
11. Meridies means _______________. (Literal)
a. apex b. noon
c. before d. daylight
12. The early Romans used the position of the sun to tell the time. When the sun was at its apex,
it was noon. What does apex mean?
a. highest point b. lowest point
c. farthest point d. nearest point