Problem: How does the sentence end?

Through years of maintenance the board became the color of the oil used on it.  The 
OPTIONS:
- board is old.
- oil is old.
Answer: board is old.

Problem: How does the sentence end?

He only drove automatic vehicles, so between the car with a manual gearshift and a truck, he chose the 
OPTIONS:
- car , because it had a manual drive.
- truck , because it had a manual drive.
Answer: car , because it had a manual drive.

Problem: How does the sentence end?

She liked living in the apartment more than living in the house, because the 
OPTIONS:
- house was drab.
- apartment was drab.
Answer: house was drab.

Problem: How does the sentence end?

John liked the areas in his old town a lot better than the locations in his new town, because the 
OPTIONS:
- areas were cleaner.
- locations were cleaner.
Answer:
areas were cleaner.