50 years back in time and even before that, in the absence of the Internet and various hi-tech toys, the entertainment world used to be so different from what it is nowadays. Running wild on the pastures, and bathing in the river, children back then saw nature as their playground and were curious to explore and enjoy it in their own creative ways. They found small objects around them to make toys. Boys used branches as swords for mock battles while girls used them as chopsticks to play imaginary restaurants. In this way, children enjoyed themselves on the way to school, during school breaks, and even when they were herding buffaloes. At that time, tug of war, hide and seek, and skipping were popular games. Some have even made it through to today. The fact that those popular games were meant to be played in groups made it easier and faster for children to make friends. Moreover, people rarely moved away from their hometown, so childhood bonds were even stronger as children grew up playing together all their life. 1. Children in the past saw nature as ______. A. an entertainment B. an unknown environment C. a workshop D. beautiful scenery 2. Which of the following things was NOT likely to be used as a toy by children in the past? A. Sticks B. Small stones C. Dry leaves D. Beautiful silver spoons 3. Which statement is NOT true about children’s games in the past? A. Tug of war was familiar to most children. B. Some games are still played now. C. Children could play them while they were herding buffaloes. D. No game in the past is known to children nowadays. 4. The word “explore” could be replaced by ______. A. find B. discover C. destroy D. play 5. The word “them” refers to ______. A. children B. boys C. branches