📝 Workbook · General B1 · Unit 1

Life stories — Workbook

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Exercise 1

1. Vocabulary gap-fill

Complete each sentence with ONE word from the box.

Word bank — drag or tap, then tap a gap
  1. My grandparents  drop  in 1962 in a small church.
  2. I  drop  in a village near the mountains.
  3. My favourite  drop  from  drop  is Sunday lunch at my grandma's.
  4. We  drop  from São Paulo to Lisbon in 2015.
  5.  drop , we didn't have smartphones, and life felt slower.
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Exercise 2

2. Past simple or past continuous?

Put the verb in brackets in the correct past form.

  1. Yesterday at 8 pm, I ___ (watch) a film.
  2. I ___ (walk) to the bus stop when it started to rain.
  3. She ___ (open) the door and ___ (see) her old friend.
  4. We ___ (not / listen) because we ___ (talk).
  5. He ___ (live) in Berlin for two years, then ___ (move) to Vienna.
  6. What ___ (you / do) at 10 last night?
  7. I ___ (know) the answer, but I didn't say anything.
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Exercise 3

3. Background or main event?

Read each sentence and choose the correct label for the underlined verb.

  1. I was reading when the phone rang. → 'was reading'

  2. I was reading when the phone rang. → 'rang'

  3. She opened the letter and screamed. → 'opened'

  4. While we were driving, we saw a rainbow. → 'were driving'

  5. The children were playing in the garden all afternoon. → 'were playing'

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Exercise 4

4. Find and fix the mistake

Each sentence has ONE mistake. Rewrite it.

  1. I was going to school and I was seeing a car accident.
  2. When she called, I cooked dinner.
  3. We watched a film when suddenly the lights went out.
  4. I was knowing the answer, but I said nothing.
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Exercise 5

5. Listening — a short 'first day' story

A man (Tom) remembers his first day at university. Listen for the sequence of events and the small details.

  1. What time did he wake up, and how did he feel about it?
  2. What three things happened before the lecture?
  3. Why did he arrive late, and where did he sit?
  4. Who spoke to him after class, and what happened later?
Show transcript

Tom:Okay, my first day at university. I remember it perfectly. I woke up at six — way too early. I had a coffee, I put on my new shoes, and I took the wrong bus. So I arrived 30 minutes late to my first lecture. Front row was empty. Of course I sat there. After class, a girl next to me said, 'Are you new?' We had lunch together. Six years later, she was at my wedding.

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Exercise 6

6. Writing — a short personal story

Write a 70–100 word story about a small memorable moment from your life. Use at least ONE past continuous and 3 past simple verbs. End with ONE sentence that says why you still remember it.

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Exercise 7

7. Reflection

Look back at the reading 'The night the lights went out'. Answer briefly, in your own words.

  1. Why do you think the writer remembers that evening better than most birthdays?
  2. Describe your own 'no-screen' memory in 2–3 sentences (real or invented).
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