---
title: "English C-Test C1: The printing press · C-Test Prep"
description: "Free English C-Test at C1 level: \"The printing press\", 25 gaps to fill in and check online, with the answer and an explanation for every gap."
canonical: https://ctestprep.de/en/c-test-english-exercises/c1-the-printing-press
last_updated: 2026-10-31
---

# English C-Test C1: The printing press

An English C-Test at C1 level: academic style, abstract nouns and less common words.

Last checked: 31 October 2026

25 gaps: 16 on grammar, 9 on vocabulary. Complete the second half of each word, then check; every answer with its explanation is under the text.

## The printing press

C1

Around 1450, Johannes Gutenberg developed a method of printing with movable metal type in the German city of Mainz. Before h___ invention, bo___ had t___ be cop___ by ha___, which ma___ them sca___ and expe___, and te___ inevitably accum___ errors wi___ each co___. Printing dramat___ reduced t___ cost o___ reproduction a___, within a f___ decades, spr___ to ov___ two hun___ towns acr___ Europe. Its conseq___ extended f___ beyond t___ book tr___. Standardised editions allowed scholars in different countries to compare identical texts, while pamphlets circulated so rapidly that religious and political arguments reached an unprecedented audience.

### Answers and explanations: The printing press

1. his Grammar
   "his invention": possessive for Gutenberg (male, singular).
2. books Vocabulary
   "books".
3. to Grammar
   "had to be copied": "have to" + passive infinitive.
4. copied Grammar
   Past participle of "copy" (y → -ied) in the passive "be copied".
5. hand Vocabulary
   "by hand" = without a machine.
6. made Grammar
   "which made them scarce": "make" + object + adjective; past tense "made".
7. scarce Vocabulary
   "scarce" = available only in small numbers.
8. expensive Vocabulary
   "expensive" = costing a lot.
9. texts Vocabulary
   "texts".
10. accumulated Vocabulary
    "accumulate" = gather more and more; past simple here.
11. with Grammar
    "with each copy" = each time a copy was made.
12. copy Vocabulary
    "copy" = a reproduction of a text.
13. dramatically Grammar
    Adverb of "dramatic" (ending -ally); it describes the verb "reduced".
14. the Grammar
    "the cost of reproduction", "the book trade": definite article before a defined noun.
15. of Grammar
    "the cost of reproduction".
16. and Grammar
    "and" joins the verbs "reduced" and "spread", which share the subject "Printing".
17. few Grammar
    "within a few decades": "a few" = some, a small number.
18. spread Grammar
    "spread" is irregular: spread – spread – spread.
19. over Grammar
    "over two hundred" = more than two hundred.
20. hundred Grammar
    "two hundred": no -s on "hundred" after a number.
21. across Grammar
    "across Europe" = in many places throughout Europe.
22. consequences Vocabulary
    "consequences" = results or effects.
23. far Grammar
    "far beyond" = much further than.
24. the Grammar
    "the cost of reproduction", "the book trade": definite article before a defined noun.
25. trade Vocabulary
    "the book trade" = the business of making and selling books.

## Tips for C1

- At C1 the gaps are often nominalisations and fixed phrases; read on until the meaning is clear.
- Only the exact word counts here: two letters swapped is marked wrong. So practise the spelling too.
- If you stay under 15 gaps here, practise B2 texts first; that is where most points are.

## More practice texts

**B1:** [The semester ticket](https://ctestprep.de/en/c-test-english-exercises/b1-the-semester-ticket) · [Volunteering in your free time](https://ctestprep.de/en/c-test-english-exercises/b1-volunteering-in-your-free-time) · [Food waste in the canteen](https://ctestprep.de/en/c-test-english-exercises/b1-food-waste-in-the-canteen)

**B2:** [How vaccines are tested](https://ctestprep.de/en/c-test-english-exercises/b2-how-vaccines-are-tested) · [Citizen science](https://ctestprep.de/en/c-test-english-exercises/b2-citizen-science) · [Artificial light at night](https://ctestprep.de/en/c-test-english-exercises/b2-artificial-light-at-night)

**C1:** [The economics of streaming](https://ctestprep.de/en/c-test-english-exercises/c1-the-economics-of-streaming) · [The decline of handwriting](https://ctestprep.de/en/c-test-english-exercises/c1-the-decline-of-handwriting)

[Three more texts (B1, B2, C1) on one page →](https://ctestprep.de/en/c-test-english-exercises)

**Ready for the real test?** The English Pass (€12) has 10 more texts and a simulation in the Münster format: 4 texts, 100 gaps, 25 minutes, with an estimated level. [See the Pass →](https://ctestprep.de/en/pricing)

[The C-Test at universities compared →](https://ctestprep.de/en/c-test-english)