Autumn Arrives: Time to Set Clocks Back for Winter
Listen to the story
As autumn begins, people are already thinking about the switch back to standard time. Every year in October, clocks are set back by one hour across many countries.
This seasonal change is often called the clock change or the end of daylight saving time. In spring, clocks move forward; in autumn, they move back again.
The most noticeable effect of autumn is shorter daylight hours. Evenings become darker earlier, and mornings can feel different too.
However, there is one small benefit. On the night the clocks change, people gain an extra hour of sleep, since the clocks move backward instead of forward.
This adjustment has become a yearly tradition that many people expect and prepare for. News reports each year include a countdown to the exact date.
The change affects daily routines, including work schedules, transport timetables and even how people plan their evenings.
While the practice is well established, discussions continue in some places about whether the twice-yearly clock change should continue in the future.
For now, though, the system remains unchanged, and the October switch to standard time is expected once again this year.
Vocabulary10 words
- standard time
- the normal winter time used instead of summer time
- clock change
- when clocks move forward or backward by one hour
- daylight saving time
- summer time when clocks are set one hour ahead
- daylight hours
- the hours of natural light in a day
- tradition
- a regular yearly practice
- countdown
- counting the days until an event happens
- adjustment
- a small change made to fit new conditions
- routine
- the usual way people do daily tasks
- timetable
- a schedule showing when things happen
- practice
- something that is regularly done
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Quiz
Answer key
1. In October 2. An extra hour of sleep 3. True
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
As autumn begins, people are already thinking about the switch back to _____ time.
Every year in October, clocks are set _____ by one hour across many countries.
This seasonal change is often called the clock change or the end of daylight _____ time.
The most noticeable effect of autumn is shorter daylight _____.
On the night the clocks change, people gain an extra hour of _____.
This adjustment has become a yearly _____ that many people expect.
News reports each year include a _____ to the exact date.
The change affects daily _____, including work schedules and transport timetables.
Discussions continue about whether the twice-yearly clock change should _____ in the future.
The October switch to standard time is _____ once again this year.
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