Simple Past vs. Present Perfect
1.- Complete the passage below, using the correct form of the verbs in brackets (present perfect or simple past):
The Olympic Games The original Olympic Games 1____________________ (begin) around 800 BC in Ancient Greece and 2____________________ (continue) until they 3 ____________________ (be) abolished by the Roman Emperor Theodosius in AD 393. The first modern Olympics 4____________________ (take) place in Athens in 1896, and since then, more than a dozen different countries 5 ____________________ (stage) the Summer Olympics. The cities of Paris, London, Berlin and Los Angeles 6____________________ (stage) the Olympics twice. In 1956, Australia 7____________________ (become) the first country outside Europe and America to stage the Olympics, while Mexico 8 ____________________ (be) the first Latin American country to stage the Olympics in 1968. Many of the greatest athletes in the world 9____________________ (take) part in the Olympic Games, but no one 10____________________ (equal) the achievements of the great Finnish athlete, Paavo Nurmi, who between 1920 and 1928 11____________________ (win) nine gold medals and three silver medals. The Olympic Games 12____________________ (see) many tragedies and triumphs. For example, in the marathon of 1908, the little Italian Dorando Pietri 13 ____________________ (collapse) five times in the last part of the race, but 14 ____________________ (come) first –only to be disqualified because spectators 15____________________ (help) him over the finishing line. And in 1936, the famous black American athlete Jesse Owens 16____________________ (break) six world records in a single day! From the first modern Olympics in Athens, when only fourteen countries 17 ____________________ (participate), the Olympics 18____________________ (grow) to include over 140 countries. Gold, silver and bronze medals 19 ____________________ (go) to over 8,000 men and women. (From ADAMSON, D. (1997) Practise your Tenses, Longman, p. 28)
2.- Mike Skidmore designs company magazines, brochures, and many other products. Complete the text about him. Write the past simple or the present perfect form of the verbs in brackets:
A SUCCESS STORY Skidmore Turnbill Design b e g a n (begin) business with four staff in a small office in London in 1989. Mike Skidmore _______________ (form) a partnership with an old friend and colleague, Mark Turnbull. Skidmore _____________ (bring) the design ideas to the business and Turnbull ____________(provide) the business skills. They ____________ (start) their company during the bad economic recession from 1989 to 1993, but they ______________ (get) through those difficult years well. Now, they ________________ (develop) into one of the most popular design studios in London. They _______________ (move) offices twice as they ______________ (grow). Today, their annual turnover ______________ (increase) from nothing in 1989 to around 3 million pounds.