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Reading Worksheet

The Turning Points

B2 Third Conditional: Imagining Alternative Histories History 25 minutes
Before You Read

Discuss these questions with a partner before you read.

  • Can you name one historical event that you think changed the world?
  • Do you think history is shaped by individuals, or by large social forces?
  • Have you ever made a decision that changed the direction of your life?
  • Is it useful to ask 'what if?' about the past? Why or why not?
Key Vocabulary
Word Definition Example
turning point (n.) a moment when an important change occurs, after which things develop in a new direction The invention of the internet was a turning point in the way people communicate and share information.
trigger (v.) to cause something to happen, especially a significant event or reaction The economic crisis triggered a wave of protests across the country.
diplomatic (adj.) relating to the management of relations between countries; also used to describe a tactful, careful approach to difficult situations The two leaders sought a diplomatic solution to avoid going to war.
assassination (n.) the murder of a prominent political or public figure, usually for political reasons The assassination of the president shocked the whole nation and led to immediate political changes.
underlying (adj.) present beneath the surface; the real or fundamental cause of something, not always immediately obvious The doctor treated the symptoms, but warned that the underlying cause of the illness still needed attention.
fragile (adj.) easily broken, damaged, or destroyed; delicate and vulnerable The peace agreement was fragile — one small incident could have broken it apart.
Reading Text
Magazine Article ~305 words

The Turning Points

History is full of moments that balanced on a knife's edge. A history magazine asked: what would have happened if these famous events had gone differently? We looked at three turning points.

In 1440, Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. If he had not made this discovery, books would have remained too expensive for most people to own. If ideas had not spread so quickly across Europe, the Renaissance might not have happened in the same way. And if literacy had not grown rapidly over the following century, the scientific revolution could have taken far longer to develop.

The First World War began in 1914 after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. If that assassination had not triggered the conflict, Europe might have avoided decades of war and destruction. However, many historians argue that if one event had not started the war, another would have. The underlying tensions between European powers had been building for years. If leaders had found a diplomatic solution in time, history would have been completely different — but the conditions for conflict were already in place.

The Apollo 11 moon landing of 1969 was another defining moment. If the mission had failed, the space race would have ended very differently. If NASA had not succeeded, the United States might not have won the Cold War technology battle. But there is another question: if Armstrong had not walked on the moon, would humans have stopped exploring space altogether? Most scientists believe we would eventually have found another way.

History is full of 'what ifs'. If we had not asked these questions, we would not understand how fragile the past really was — and how close things came to being entirely different.

Notice the Grammar

Read the second paragraph about the printing press. Find the three 'if' sentences. What tense is the verb in the 'if' clause? What structure is used in the result clause? How is this different from the second conditional? These events are in the past — can they still be changed?

1 Reading for Gist

Answer these questions in a few words.

  1. What question does the article explore?
  2. How many historical turning points does the article examine?
  3. What does the article say about history in its conclusion?
2 Reading for Detail

Write short answers to these questions.

  1. According to the article, what effect did the printing press have on literacy and the spread of ideas?
  2. Why do historians say the First World War might have started even without the assassination?
  3. What does the article suggest about humanity's drive to explore space?
  4. What does the article suggest the Cold War technology battle was linked to?  a) The development of nuclear weapons. b) NASA's success in landing on the moon. c) The invention of the printing press. 
  5. What does the closing paragraph suggest about the relationship between history and fragility?
3 True, False, or Not Given

Write T (True), F (False), or NG (Not Given).

  1. The article says the Renaissance would definitely not have happened without the printing press.
  2. Historians in the article agree that if the assassination had not occurred, war would have been completely avoided.
  3. The article was written by a professional historian.
  4. The moon landing took place in 1969.
  5. The article claims the scientific revolution could have happened faster without the printing press.
4 Vocabulary in Context

Answer these questions about words from the article.

  1. The article says the assassination 'triggered' the First World War. Which word could replace 'triggered' without changing the meaning?  a) delayed b) started c) prevented 
  2. The article says European tensions were 'underlying'. What does this word suggest about the causes of the war?
  3. Find a word in the article that describes something easily broken or destroyed. 
  4. The article says leaders might have found a 'diplomatic solution'. In your own words, what would a diplomatic solution have looked like in 1914?
5 Grammar in Context

Complete these activities about the third conditional.

  1. Find five third conditional sentences from the article. Write them.
    a)  b)  c)  d)  e) 
  2. The article uses 'might have' and 'could have' as well as 'would have'. What is the difference?
  3. Which sentence is a correct third conditional?  a) If the press hadn't been invented, ideas spread more slowly. b) If the press hadn't been invented, ideas would have spread more slowly. c) If the press wasn't invented, ideas would spread more slowly. 
  4. Write third conditional sentences. (a) 'Gutenberg invented the printing press. Books became affordable.' → 'If Gutenberg _____ not _____ the press, books _____ remained expensive.' (b) 'NASA succeeded. The US won the space race.' → 'If NASA _____ not _____, the US _____ not _____ the space race.' Write a complete sentence for each.
  5. Write three third conditional sentences about a historical event you know. What would have happened if one thing had been different?
Personal Response — Discuss with a partner

Discuss with a partner. Share one idea with the class.

  1. Which of the three turning points in the article do you think was the most significant? Why?
  2. Can you think of a historical event from your own country that could have gone differently? What would have happened?
  3. The article asks: 'If we had not asked "what if?", would we understand history?' Do you agree that this kind of thinking is valuable?

Answer Key

The Turning Points — B2 — Third Conditional: Imagining Alternative Histories

Exercise 1 — Reading for Gist

  1. What would have happened if famous historical events had gone differently?
  2. Three: the printing press, the First World War, and the moon landing.
  3. History is fragile — it almost went in completely different directions, and asking 'what if?' helps us understand this.

Exercise 2 — Reading for Detail

  1. It made books more affordable, allowed ideas to spread quickly across Europe, and helped literacy grow, contributing to the Renaissance and the scientific revolution.
  2. Because the underlying tensions between European powers had been building for years — another event would likely have triggered the war eventually.
  3. Even if Apollo 11 had failed, most scientists believe humans would have found another way to explore space.
  4. b)
  5. It suggests that the past was more fragile than we think — major events could easily have turned out differently, and asking 'what if?' reveals how close things came to going another way.

Exercise 3 — True, False, or Not Given

  1. F — The article uses 'might not have happened' — indicating uncertainty, not certainty.
  2. F — Historians argue the opposite: 'if one event had not caused the war, another would have' — because underlying tensions already existed.
  3. NG — The article does not identify its author or state their profession.
  4. T — The article clearly states: 'The Apollo 11 moon landing of 1969.'
  5. F — The article says the scientific revolution 'could have taken far longer to develop' without the press — the opposite.

Exercise 4 — Vocabulary in Context

  1. b)
  2. It suggests that the causes were not immediately obvious on the surface — they were deeper, hidden forces that had been building over time.
  3. fragile
  4. A diplomatic solution would have meant political leaders talking, negotiating, and finding a compromise through conversation and agreements, rather than going to war. It would have meant addressing the tensions between countries peacefully.

Exercise 5 — Grammar in Context

  1. Any five sentences with 'if + past perfect, would/might/could have + past participle'. For example: 'If Gutenberg had not invented the printing press, books would have remained too expensive.' / 'If ideas had not spread so quickly, the Renaissance might not have happened.' / 'If literacy had not grown rapidly, the scientific revolution could have taken far longer.' / 'If the assassination had not triggered the conflict, Europe might have avoided decades of war.' / 'If one event had not started the war, another would have.' / 'If leaders had found a diplomatic solution, history would have been completely different.' / 'If the mission had failed, the space race would have ended very differently.' / 'If NASA had not succeeded, the US might not have won the Cold War technology battle.' / 'If Armstrong had not walked on the moon, would humans have stopped exploring space?' / 'If we had not asked these questions, we would not understand how fragile the past really was.'
  2. 'Would have' shows a certain or definite result in the hypothetical past — the writer is confident about the alternative outcome. 'Might have' and 'could have' show possible but uncertain results — the writer is less sure what would have happened. They suggest the alternative outcome is plausible but not guaranteed.
  3. b)
  4. (a) If Gutenberg had not invented the press, books would have remained expensive. (b) If NASA had not succeeded, the US would not have won the space race.
  5. Answers will vary. Answers will vary. Check: if + past perfect (had + past participle), would/might/could have + past participle. Encourage

Notice the Grammar — suggested answers

Accept any five correct examples from the article that use the target grammar. Students should be able to explain why the grammar is used in each case.

Personal Response

Answers will vary. This section is for spoken discussion or short written response. There are no single correct answers.