Text 3. TIME

We tell the time by a clock or watch. A clock is big. It is generally on the wall, or it stands on the table or over the fireplace. A watch is small. We put it in our pocket or wear it on the wrist.

The short hand points to the hours, the long hand points to the minutes. Some have three hands - a long hand, a short hand, and a very short hand to point to the seconds.

Some clocks are very big, for example, Big Ben, the clock on the Houses of Parliament in London. The minute hand of Big Ben is fourteen feet long, and the hour hand is nine feet long. The English hear Big Ben on the radio at nine p.m. At that hour its sound goes all over the world.

Twelve o'clock at night is "midnight", we use the letters a.m. For example, 12.20 a.m. A.M. is a short form of the Latin words "ante meridiem", which means "before noon”.

Twelve o'clock in the daytime is "noon" or "midday". We use the letters p.m., for example, 9.10 p.m. P.M. is a short form of the Latin words "post meridiem", which means "after noon".

Answer the following questions:

1. W hat is the difference between a clock and a watch?

2. How many hands are there on the face of a clock or a watch? What are they?

3. What does the short hand point to?

4. What does the long hand point to?

5. Do you have an alarm-clock?

6. What big clocks do you know?

7. Where is Big Ben situated?

8. When do you hear its sound?

9. What is the meaning of a.m.?

10. What is the meaning of p.m.?