For centuries, time was measured by the position of the sun with the use of sundials. Noon was recognized when the sun was the highest in the sky, and cities would set their clock by this apparent solar time, even though some cities would often be on a slightly different time. Daylight Saving Time (DST), sometimes called summer time, was instituted to make better use of daylight. Thus, clocks are set forward one hour in the spring to move an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening and then set back one hour in the fall to return to normal daylight.

   Benjamin Franklin first conceived the idea of daylight saving during his tenure as an American delegate in Paris in 1984 and wrote about it extensively in his essay, "An Economical Project." It is said that Franklin awoke early one morning and was surprised to see the sunlight at such an hour. Always the economist, Franklin believed the practice of moving the time could save on the use of candlelight, as candles were expensive at the time.

   In England, builder William Willett (1857–1915) became a strong supporter for Daylight Saving Time upon noticing blinds of many houses were closed on an early sunny morning. Willet believed everyone, including himself, would appreciate longer hours of light in the evenings. In 1909, Sir Robert Pearce introduced a bill in the House of Commons to make it obligatory to adjust the clocks. A bill was drafted and introduced into Parliament several times but met with great opposition, mostly from farmers. Eventually, in 1925, it was decided that summer time should begin on the day following the third Saturday in April and close after the first Saturday in October.

   The U.S. Congress passed the Standard Time Act of 1918 to establish standard time and preserve and set Daylight Saving Time across the continent. This act also devised five time zones throughout the United States: Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, and Alaska. The first time zone was set on "the mean astronomical time of the seventy-fifth degree of longitude west from Greenwich" (England). In 1919, this act was repealed.

   President Roosevelt established year-round Daylight Saving Time (also called War Time) from 1942–1945. However, after this period, each state adopted its own DST, which proved to be disconcerting to television and radio broadcasting and transportation. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson created the Department of Transportation and signed the Uniform Time Act. As a result, the Department of Transportation was given the responsibility for the time laws. During the oil embargo and energy crisis of the 1970s, President Richard Nixon extended DST through the Daylight Saving Time Energy Act of 1973 to conserve energy further. This law was modified in 1986, and Daylight Saving Time was reset to begin on the first Sunday in April (to spring ahead) and end on the last Sunday in October (to fall back).

The word “devised” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ........

Câu hỏi liên quan

• In what year did Melville’s book about his experiences as a cabin boy appear?

• Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

• Which of the following is mentioned as the main cause of the destruction of Mantle’s body?

ZUNIA12

• According to paragraph 4, what makes it possible for students in Germany to attend different universities during their undergraduate studies?

• The phrase “do this” in the first paragraph mostly means ______.

• Which of the following types of food preservation was NOT mentioned in the passage?

• What is the main idea of the passage?

• The word “checked” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to ______.

• The word “identify” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to___________.

• When is the most famous football game held annually?

• According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about a logrolling?

• The passage discusses a way to deal with an offensive noise by_________.

• In paragraph 5, the author suggests that ..........

• Why are beta clockers not prescribed regularly?

• In the process of drying certain kinds of fruits, sulphur fumes help ______.

• Although women think men should share the housework, those who don't have paid job agree to share ........... of the chores.

• What does the author mean by staring that, "At interpersonal levels, tone may reflect ideas and feelings over and above the words chosen" in lines 8- 9?

• Which of the following crops was cultivated primarily by men?

• The word “harness" in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to .........

• Man can hardly understand why many animals live their whole life in the desert, as .........