B2 TEST B202

Check the Time

What do you use to check the time - your watch or maybe your mobile phone?

Well did you know there's a Speaking Clock?

Lots of people still use the Speaking Clock. There are 30 million calls to the Speaking Clock each year.

You dial 123 on your phone and a recorded voice tells you the exact time every ten seconds.

The calls are not free! You’ll get a charge on your telephone bill.

It started 75 years ago in 1936 - for people who didn’t have a clock or watch nearby. It’s pretty popular when people want to know the exact time, like at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

The Speaking Clock gets its time from the super-accurate clock at the National Physics Lab - the UK’s official timekeepers.

The bell of the huge clock, Big Ben next to the river Thames in London, checks its time with the Speaking Clock too!

Spiders

Did you know that spiders are not insects? They are actually called arachnids; a group of animals related to insects that have eight legs and that have venom. There are many different kinds of spiders. They live all over the world and can be found in just about every habitat. Most like dark places, which may include your home, closets or basement!

Spiders are very interesting. Some spiders spin silk webs to catch and eat prey, while others attack their prey. Spiders, like tarantulas, are large enough to eat lizards and mice! Many people are afraid of spiders because they bite. Most spiders however, are harmless and will only bite if they think they are danger. Spiders are actually helpful to people because many eat insects, pests like cockroaches and mosquitoes.