What is the main idea of the passage?

Britain skipped eleven date labels in 1752 to adopt a calendar that tracked the seasons more accurately. (The passage distinguishes a change in date labels from the normal passage of physical time.)

Why had the older calendar drifted from the seasons?

It measured the year slightly too long. (The second paragraph states that the Julian year was a little too long.)

What does “drifted” mean here?

moved gradually out of alignment (The mismatch accumulated over centuries, so drifted means moved slowly away.)

What date followed September 2 in Britain that year?

September 14 (The opening sentence names Thursday, September 14 as the following date.)

The Day London Changed Its Calendar: Level 1 Reading Comprehension Questions

In Britain, Wednesday, September 2, 1752, was followed by Thursday, September 14. Eleven dates disappeared from that year's calendar. Time itself did not jump. Britain was changing from one calendar system to another.

The older Julian calendar measured the year a little too long. Over many centuries, its dates drifted away from the seasons. The newer Gregorian calendar used a better leap-year rule. Dropping eleven dates brought Britain's calendar closer to that system.

People still woke after one ordinary night. Rent, birthdays, and legal dates needed careful handling, but nobody lost eleven days of life. The change shows that a calendar is a human tool for organizing natural cycles. When the tool is corrected, the labels can move even while sunrise arrives as usual.

Comprehension questions