READINGREADINGPASSAGE1Youshouldspendabout20minutesonQuestions1-13,whicharebasedonReadingPassage1below.OurconceptionoftimedependsonthewaywemeasureitAAccordingtoarchaeologicalevidence,atleast5,000yearsago,andlongbeforetheadventoftheRomanEmpire,theBabyloniansbegantomeasuretime,introducingcalendarstoco-ordinatecommunalactivities,toplantheshipmentofgoodsand,inparticular,toregulateplantingandharvesting.Theybasedtheircalendarsonthreenaturalcycles:thesolarday,markedbythesuccessiveperiodsoflightanddarknessastheearthrotatesonitsaxis;thelunarmonth,followingthephasesofthemoonasitorbitstheearth;andthesolaryear,definedbythechangingseasonsthataccompanyourplanet'srevolutionaroundthesun.BBeforetheinventionofartificiallight,themoonhadgreatersocialimpact.And,forthoselivingneartheequatorinparticular,itswaxingandwaningwasmoreconspicuousthanthepassingoftheseasons.Hence,thecalendarsthatweredevelopedatthelowerlatitudeswereinfluencedmorebythelunarcyclethanbythesolaryear.Inmorenorthernclimes,however,whereseasonalagriculturewaspractised,thesolaryearbecamemorecrucial.AstheRomanEmpireexpandednorthward,itorganiseditsactivitychartforthemostpartaroundthesolaryear.CCenturiesbeforetheRomanEmpire,theEgyptianshadformulatedamunicipalcalendarhaving12monthsof30days,withfivedaysaddedtoapproximatethesolaryear.Eachperiodoftendayswasmarkedbytheappearanceofspecialgroupsofstarscalleddecans.AttheriseofthestarSiriusjustbeforesunrise,whichoccurredaroundtheall-importantannualfloodingoftheNile,12decanscouldbeseenspanningtheheavens.ThecosmicsignificancetheEgyptiansplacedinthe12decansledthemtodevelopasysteminwhicheachintervalofdarkness(andlater,eachintervalofdaylight)wasdividedintoadozenequalparts.Theseperiodsbecameknownastemporalhoursbecausetheirdurationvariedaccordingtothechanginglengthofdaysandnightswiththepassingoftheseasons.Summerhourswerelong,winteronesshort;onlyatthespringandautumnequinoxeswerethehoursofdaylightanddarknessequal.Temporalhours,whichwerefirstadoptedbytheGreeksandthentheRomans,whodisseminatedthemthroughEurope,remainedinuseformorethan2,500years.DInordertotracktemporalhoursduringtheday,inventorscreatedsundials,whichindicatetimebythelengthordirectionofthesun'sshadow.Thesundial'scounterpart,thewaterclock,wasdesignedtomeasuretemporalhoursatnight.Oneofthefirstwaterclockswasabasinwithasmallholenearthebottomthroughwhichthewaterdrippedout.Thefallingwaterleveldenotedthepassinghourasitdippedbelowhourlinesinscribedontheinnersurface.AlthoughthesedevicesperformedsatisfactorilyaroundtheMediterranean,theycouldnotalwaysbedependedoninthecloudyandoftenfreezingweatherofnorthernEurope.ETheadventofthemechanicalclockmeantthatalthoughitcouldbeadjustedtomaintaintemporalhours,itwasnaturallysuitedtokeepingequalones.Withthese,however,arosethequestionofwhentobegincounting,andso,intheearly14thcentury,anumberofsystemsevolved.Theschemesthatdividedthedayinto24equalpartsvariedaccordingtothestartofthecount:Italianhoursbeganatsunset,Babylonianhoursatsunrise,astronomicalhoursatmiddayand'greatclock'hours,usedforsomelargepublicclocksinGermany,atmidnight.Eventuallytheseweresupersededby'smallclock',orFrench,hours,whichsplitthedayintotwo12-hourperiodscommencingatmidnight.FTheearliestrecordedweight-drivenmechanicalclockwasbuiltin1283inBedfordshireinEngland.Therevolutionaryaspectofthisnewtimekeeperwasneitherthedescendingweightthatprovideditsmot...