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16 Oct 2026
The Shepherd Gate Clock at the Royal Observatory Greenwich in London was the first clock to show Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT, directly to the public. Neil Hall/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Goodbye, Leap Second? The World's Timekeepers Are Voting
Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
WARM UP
Section: Warm Up
Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?
a) Some computers stop working because of an extra second.
b) A clock falls off a tall tower.
c) A dog learns to tell the time.
Ask:
(1) What time do you get up in the morning?
(2) Do you have a clock in your bedroom? What colour is it?
VOCABULARY
clock (/klɒk/, noun)
Meaning: A thing that shows us the time.
Example: The clock in my classroom is big and round.
second (/ˈsek.ənd/, noun)
Meaning: A very short piece of time. There are 60 seconds in one minute.
Example: I hop on one foot for ten seconds.
spin (/spɪn/, verb)
Meaning: To turn round and round.
Example: I spin round and round in the playground.
scientist (/ˈsaɪən.tɪst/, noun)
Meaning: A person who studies the world and how things work.
Example: The scientist looks at the stars every night.
computer (/kəmˈpjuː.tə/, noun)
Meaning: A machine that helps us work, play and learn.
Example: My brother plays a game on the computer.
meeting (/ˈmiː.tɪŋ/, noun)
Meaning: A time when people come together to talk.
Example: The teachers have a meeting after school.
vote (/vəʊt/, noun)
Meaning: A way to choose something together, for example by putting up your hand.
Example: Our class has a vote for the best game.
Every day, the Earth spins round one time. One spin makes one day. But the Earth is not a perfect clock. Sometimes it spins a little fast. Sometimes it spins a little slowly.
Scientists have very special clocks. These clocks are always right. So the Earth and the clocks do not always match. To fix this, scientists sometimes add one extra second. It is called a leap second.
But leap seconds are a big problem for computers. Computers do not like the extra second. Sometimes they stop working!
Now the Earth is spinning a little faster. Scientists want to take a second away. This is new and a little scary.
This week, scientists from many countries are in France. They are at a big meeting near Versailles. They have a big vote. The question is simple. Do we stop the leap second?
Many scientists say yes. They want the clocks to stay the same. The big change comes much later, maybe in hundreds of years! What do you think?
An atomic clock is seen at Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Germany's national metrology institute. Coordinated Universal Time combines data from about 450 atomic clocks operated by more than 80 timing centers worldwide. Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance/dpa/Getty Images
The prime meridian, marked on the ground at London's Royal Observatory Greenwich, represents 0 degrees longitude. It serves as the reference point for Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT. Neil Hall/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Section 8: Discussion Questions
1. What is a leap second?
2. Why do computers have problems with leap seconds?
3. Where are the scientists?
4. Do you want scientists to stop the leap second? Why?
5. What can you do in one second?
FILL IN THE GAPS
FILL THE GAPS
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
Read the article again. Fill in each gap with a word from the Word Bank.
Word Bank: vote, clock, computers, second
Every day, the Earth spins round one time. One spin makes one day. But the Earth is not a perfect _______(1). Sometimes it spins a little fast. Sometimes it spins a little slowly.
Scientists have very special clocks. These clocks are always right. So the Earth and the clocks do not always match. To fix this, scientists sometimes add one extra _______(2). It is called a leap second.
But leap seconds are a big problem for _______(3). Computers do not like the extra second. Sometimes they stop working!
Now the Earth is spinning a little faster. Scientists want to take a second away. This is new and a little scary.
This week, scientists from many countries are in France. They are at a big meeting near Versailles. They have a big _______(4). The question is simple. Do we stop the leap second?
Many scientists say yes. They want the clocks to stay the same. The big change comes much later, maybe in hundreds of years! What do you think?
Section 2: Main Idea
What is the story mostly about?
a) Scientists are voting on stopping the leap second.
b) Scientists are building a new computer.
c) The Earth is stopping.
UNDERSTANDING
Section 3: True or False
Read the sentences. Circle T (true) or F (false).
1. The Earth spins round one time every day. T/F
2. Computers like the extra second. T/F
3. The big meeting is in France. T/F
Section 4: Put Events in Order
Put the events in order. Write 1, 2 or 3 on the line.
_____ a) Scientists have a big vote.
_____ b) Scientists add an extra second to clocks.
_____ c) The Earth starts to spin a little faster.
LANGUAGE
Section 5: Vocab Match
1. clock
2. second
3. spin
4. computer
5. vote
a) a machine that helps us work and play
b) to turn round and round
c) a way to choose something together
d) a thing that shows us the time
e) a very short piece of time
USE IT
Section 6: Discussion Builder
Choose the best word or words to complete each sentence.
1. Computers do not like leap seconds because they sometimes ______.
a) stop working
b) sing songs
c) go to sleep
2. The scientists are at a big meeting in ______.
a) Spain
b) France
c) Italy
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
Put the parts in the correct order to make a sentence.
1. A) round / B) day. / C) The Earth / D) every / E) spins
2. A) leap / B) do not / C) seconds. / D) Computers / E) like
ANSWER KEY
Answer Key
Warm Up: a) Some computers stop working because of an extra second.
Section 1: (1) clock, (2) second, (3) computers, (4) vote
Section 2: a) Scientists are voting on stopping the leap second.
Section 3: 1. T, 2. F, 3. T
Section 4: a) 3, b) 1, c) 2
Section 5: 1 – d, 2 – e, 3 – b, 4 – a, 5 – c
Section 6: 1. a) stop working, 2. b) France
Section 7:
1. C, E, A, D, B – The Earth spins round every day.
2. D, B, E, A, C – Computers do not like leap seconds.
Section 8: Answers will vary. Sample answers:
1. It is one extra second. Scientists add it to clocks.
2. They do not like the extra second. Sometimes they stop working.
3. They are in France, near Versailles.
4. Yes, I do, because computers stop working.
5. I can clap my hands. I can blink.
Thank you for your feedback!