According to the piece, papers were often read aloud in rural houses in Ireland to family groups, usually by priests or schoolteachers, thus enabling "the illiterate to keep abreast of current affairs".
Our brains try desperately to keep abreast of them, but chronically fail – not surprisingly, since the number of items we can hold in working memory, it's been argued, may be somewhere around seven.
We were kept abreast on progress and our surroundings with short, informative lectures from the expedition leaders, who were always tolerant of an inadvertently lolling head.
In fact, there is now more places to read than ever before, but it can be tough to find the time and energy to stay abreast of developments at work, keep up with the news and read novels for pleasure.
A Downing Street source said Number 10 was "kept abreast of the operation " to detain David Miranda, but denied any political involvement in the decision, adding: "The Government does not direct police investigations".
In Europe and elsewhere, wonks have been hard-pushed to keep abreast with the changing potential risks around fundamental rights to privacy that arise from increasing surveillance.
While the players were plotting their approach to the Belgium match, where they were adamant that they would be more solid, a local radio ham regularly visited the team hotel to keep them abreast of developments back home.
This one was delayed for more than two years as the Vatican's thinkers struggled to keep abreast of developments in the world economy.
Technology made it easier to move money around the world but both finance firms and workers chose to stick close to hubs to stay abreast of trade practices, to be near business-services firms, and to find the best job matches.
"I fought a war for people in Europe to have the vote and we won!" he says, adding that technology makes it easier than ever to participate in and keep abreast of British politics from afar.
Most last about seven weeks, but they can be even shorter.Seven-Eleven says it can keep abreast of these partly by keeping an eye on the weather.
