Efficiency tools only break their types of blocks quicker

In old versions of Minecraft you could use an Efficiency tool to break any block quicker. Today tools with Efficiency only break their type (e.g.: a pickaxe stone, but not dirt). I do not know if this is a bug or a feature, but today there are very much things, that you can't tell if it is a bug or it's intended. I think this is a bug, and it should be defently changed back.