BEST IELTS Academic Reading Test 492

BEST IELTS Academic Reading Test 492

IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST 492 – PASSAGE – 2

IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST – 492

READING PASSAGE – 2

Telling the Time Using Water Clocks

A water clock is any timepiece by which time is measured by the regulated flow of liquid into (inflow type) or out from (outflow type) a vessel.

EGYPT

The oldest water clock of which there is physical evidence is Egyptian. These simple water clocks, which were of the outflow type, were stone vessels with sloping sides that allowed water to drip at a nearly constant rate from a small hole near the bottom. There were twelve separate columns with consistently spaced markings on the inside to measure the passage of “hours” as the water level reached them. These clocks were used by priests to determine the time at night so that the temple rites and sacrifices could be performed at the correct hour.

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BABYLON

In Babylon, water clocks were of the outflow type and were cylindrical in shape and aided astronomical calculations. While there are no surviving water clocks from this region, evidence of their existence comes from writings on clay tablets. These clocks were unique, as they did not have an indicator such as hands (as are typically used today) or grooved notches (as were used in Egypt). Instead, these clocks measured time by the weight of water flowing from them.

INDIA

Pots excavated from the Indus Valley site of Mohenjo-daro were used as water clocks. They are tapered at the bottom, have a hole on the side, and are similar to the utensil used to perform various religious rituals. Four-hour long intervals were measured, which consisted of a similar copper bowl holding two large floats in a larger bowl filled with water; it sank when completely filled and was marked by the beating of a drum throughout the day.

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KOREA

In 1434, Chang Yongsil, who was a palace guard and later chief court engineer, constructed a self-striking hydro-mechanical water clock. This innovation no longer required the reliance of human workers, known as “rooster men”, to constantly replenish the water. The uniqueness of the clock was its capability to announce the time with both visual and audible signals. This water clock was not preserved well and did not survive; however, reconstructions based on text descriptions have been made.

As the water from the upper containers seeped down to the lower jar via spouts, the water would then rise to a set position, pushing a cork prong upwards through a cylindrical tube, tilting a floating rod, triggering the release of a ball bearing through a small outlet, which would roll down a pipe to a container of iron balls. The collision would cause them to travel along a lower pipe and would mark the hour automatically with the sounds of a bell, drum, and lastly, a gong.

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PERSIA

The use of water clocks in Iran dates back to the beginning of the millennium. They were used to determine the shortest, longest, and equal-length days and nights of the years. Persian water clocks consisted of a large pot full of water and a bowl with a small hole in the centre. When the bowl became full of water, it would sink into the pot, and the clock manager would empty the bowl and again put it on the top of the water in the pot. He would record the number of times the bowl sank by putting small stones into a jar.

GREECE

The Greeks introduced several types of inflow clocks and invented an indicator system typical for later clocks such as the dial and pointer. They also designed one of the world’s first alarm clocks, working with gongs or trumpets. A commonly used water clock was the simple outflow one. This small earthenware vessel had a hole in its side near the base. In both Greek and Roman times, this type of water clock was used in courts for allocating periods of time to speakers. In important cases, such as when a person’s life was at stake, it was filled completely, but for more minor cases, only partially.

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Questions 17 – 24

Match each statement with the name of the country / region. Choose the correct letter A – F for questions 17 – 24. NB You may use any letter more than once.

17. This water clock resembled a tool used in religious ceremonies. ______

18. This type of water clock has since been recreated according to old texts. ______

19. The time allowed to settle a dispute was kept by these water clocks. ______

20. Someone would have to manually keep track of the time using pebbles with these water clocks. ______

21. These water clocks helped to measure the movement of celestial objects. ______

22. The task of refilling water was automated, and human labour made redundant, by these water clocks. ______

23. Ancient writing imprinted in clay describes these water clocks’ existence. ______

24. One such water clock was devised to wake people up. ______

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List of Countries / Regions

A. Egypt

B. Babylon

C. India

D. Korea

E. Persia

F. Greece

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Questions 25 – 31

Label parts of the water clock on the diagram below. Choose your labels given with the diagram.

Clock Parts

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ANSWERS

17. C

18. D

19. F

20. E

21. B

22. D

23. B

24. F

25. CONTAINERS

26. JAR

27. CORK PRONG

28. FLOATING ROD

29. BALL BEARING

30. IRON BALL

31. BELL

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