Unit 4 – Life in the past (B1 Test Version)
B1 Vocabulary & Grammar Practice – 50 Questions (No answers)
> Choose the best answer (A, B, C or D) to complete each sentence.
1. In the early 20th century, people used to ____ their food using firewood
instead of gas.
A. boil B. bake C. fry D. cook
2. Most families ____ their clothes by hand before washing machines were
invented.
A. wash B. washed C. had washed D. were washing
3. Before the invention of electricity, houses ____ oil lamps for lighting.
A. had used B. have used C. use D. are using
4. People often gathered around the fire in the evening to ____ stories.
A. tell B. told C. saying D. speak
5. In those days, students ____ long distances on foot to attend school.
A. had to walk B. must walk C. should walk D. would walking
6. My grandfather remembers the time when farmers ____ animals
instead of using machines.
A. have raised B. raised C. were raising D. had raising
7. Traditional games that children played in the past were ____ than
modern video games.
A. more interactive B. most interactive C. as interactive D.
interactively
8. Villagers used to exchange goods at the market because there was no
____.
A. money B. banking system C. technology D. supermarket
9. There were times when people ____ their own furniture and tools from
wood.
A. had made B. would make C. made D. make
10. Life in the past was challenging, yet many people ____ a strong
sense of community.
A. possessed B. were possessing C. had possessed D. possessing
11. When electricity first came to the village, people ____ it was a
miracle.
A. had thought B. think C. thought D. have thought
12. Children in the countryside used to spend hours playing
outdoors, which helped them develop ____.
A. physically B. physical C. physics D. physician
13. My grandmother often recalls how families ____ meals together
every evening.
A. use to have B. would have C. have D. had had
14. In the past, it was common for people ____ their own vegetables
in the backyard.
A. growing B. grew C. to grow D. grow
15. The house where I was born ____ in the 1950s.
A. had built B. was built C. was building D. builds
16. There weren’t many roads back then, so people often traveled by
____.
A. cart B. bicycle C. plane D. truck
17. ____ there were no smartphones, communication was slower but
more personal.
A. Although B. Because C. Despite D. Since
18. Families in the past ____ large because of the lack of birth
control.
A. are B. were C. have been D. had been
19. The community used to organize festivals that everyone ____ in.
A. participating B. participated C. participates D. has participated
20. She remembered the days when people ____ water from the well
every morning.
A. would fetch B. fetched C. fetch D. had fetched
21. Before the telephone was common, letters ____ the main form of
communication.
A. have been B. had been C. were D. are
22. The streets in my hometown ____ narrow and unpaved many
years ago.
A. used to be B. are C. was D. have been
23. Old photographs show how differently people ____ in the past.
A. dress B. had dressed C. dressed D. were dressing
24. My father explained that people ____ candles to light their homes
at night.
A. are using B. used C. had used D. would using
25. When I was a child, my grandparents often ____ stories about
their childhood.
A. tell B. told C. telling D. were telling
26. Many people in the countryside ____ their own bread instead of
buying it.
A. baked B. baking C. have baked D. bake
27. He said he ____ his childhood days when his family sat together
every night.
A. misses B. has missed C. missed D. missed
28. People ____ rely heavily on animals for transportation in the old
days.
A. would B. use to C. had to D. ought to
29. By the time electricity was installed, most people ____ used oil
lamps for years.
A. had B. have C. were D. had been
30. The type of education that children received in the past ____
greatly depending on where they lived.
A. vary B. varied C. was varied D. has varied
31. People often ____ to visit each other without calling first.
A. drop B. dropping C. dropped D. would drop
32. It was common for families to have several generations living
____.
A. together B. apart C. above D. outside
33. The story he told me ____ true, although it sounded unbelievable.
A. is B. was C. has been D. had been
34. Many children helped their parents with farm work before they
____ to school.
A. go B. went C. had gone D. going
35. Before modern medicine, people ____ on natural remedies.
A. relied B. have relied C. had been relied D. relying
36. Clothing styles in the past were more modest, which ____ cultural
values.
A. reflect B. reflected C. had reflected D. were reflecting
37. Before factories, most goods ____ by hand.
A. produced B. were produced C. had produced D. were producing
38. When people ____ sick, they often used herbs for treatment.
A. get B. got C. getting D. gets
39. Books were expensive and rare, so children often ____ by
listening to stories.
A. learned B. were learning C. learning D. had learned
40. There used to be a time when people ____ their own soap from
animal fat.
A. make B. made C. making D. has made
41. Unlike today, children in the past ____ fewer toys but more
outdoor activities.
A. had B. have C. has D. having
42. My grandparents ____ married when they were very young.
A. was B. were C. had D. got
43. In the past, people ____ photos using film cameras, which had to
be developed.
A. took B. take C. have taken D. taking
44. The community center where I learned to read ____ no longer
exists.
A. who B. which C. what D. whose
45. During the 1800s, most cities ____ basic sanitation.
A. lack B. lacked C. were lacked D. have lacked
46. The woman ____ taught me how to spin wool lived next door.
A. which B. who C. whom D. whose
47. People ____ newspapers or listened to the radio for news before
television.
A. read B. reading C. reads D. have read
48. When electricity became common, people gradually ____ candles.
A. abandoned B. had abandoned C. abandoning D. abandon
49. Back then, if someone got lost, they ____ ask others for
directions.
A. have to B. had to C. must D. should
50. The traditions that our ancestors followed ____ a strong sense of
identity.
A. provided B. have provided C. provide D. were providing