By Ajarn Helen Jandamit
Photos courtesy of Bangkok Post and AP
University Tips is here to help you prepare for the English exams and tests that are coming your way. It gives you practise answering questions similar to those you may have at school and also on the University Entrance Examination.
Read the following story by Cheewin Sattha from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.
Chedi Luang Temple is investigating ways to adjust wall paintings that show ancient soldiers carrying modern weapons.
Located in Chiang Mai’s Muang district, the site has stirred debate after the controversial paintings were seen inside the City Pillar hall in May for the first time. They are part of renovations to the hall at the temple.
The drawings include warriors in ancient outfits carrying modern weapons including an M79 grenade launcher, an M16 rifle, a pistol, a hand grenade and a sniper rifle.
They were displayed at a time when the conflict between the government led by then-prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and anti-government demonstrators was at its height, with M79 grenade attacks and shootings plaguing rally venues, mainly in Bangkok.
Phra Khru Sophon Kaweewat, the project supervisor, said talks with other parties were underway to change the pictures to something more appropriate and to end links between the temple and the political conflict. The monk said the paintings were not drawn to illustrate the political situation as they had been painted before the unrest. The temple will change the modern arms to ancient weapons and is consulting arms experts on this matter, he said, adding that painters will be called in later to make the changes.
Phra Kru Palad Suwat Metthakhun, the deputy abbot of the temple, said in May that the modern weapons were the painters’ creative idea to show weapons from the past to the present day through warriors of old. A sword and other ancient weapons were in other paintings at the same place, he said.
Exercises
Section 1
Read the story. Then, answer the following multiple-choice questions.
1. What were the ancient soldiers shown in the wall paintings carrying?
a. They were carrying colourful costumes.
b. They were carrying offerings for monks.
c. They were carrying modern weapons.
2. Why were some people critical of the paintings?
a. They did not feel it was appropriate to have images of ancient soldiers carrying modern weapons in a temple.
b. They thought that the paintings were done to cause political conflict.
c. People thought that the paintings had been badly painted.
3. When were the wall paintings with the weapons painted?
a. In May, 2014
b. Before the recent political unrest.
c. When the conflict between Yingluck Shinawatra’s government and anti-government demonstrators was at its height.
4. Where is Chedi Luang Temple?
a. In Chiang Rai.
b. In Chiang Mai.
c. In Bangkok.
5. Which of the following best describes the attitude of the deputy abbot of the temple towards the paintings?
a. He thinks they are effective in attracting visitors to the temple.
b. He believes that the paintings were a creative way to show weapons from the past to the present day.
c. He said he would consult arms experts about changing the paintings to make them more appropriate.
6. When were the paintings seen inside the City Pillar hall for the first time?
a. When people started protesting against the government.
b. The story doesn’t say.
c. In May.
7. Which of the following is not a modern weapon?
a. A spear.
b. An M79 grenade launcher.
c. An M16 rifle.
8. Who said that the paintings were not created to illustrate the political situation?
a. Phra Kru Palad Suwat Metthakhun.
b. Phra Khru Sophon Kaweewat.
c. Yingluck Shinawatra.
Section 2
Find words used in the story that are antonyms of the following words.
9. different …………………..
10. maintain …………………..
11. followed …………………..
12. old-fashioned …………………..
Section 3
Fill in the blanks in the following passage with the correct words from the choices given.
Chedi Luang Temple has changed all wall paintings showing ancient soldiers carrying …..13….. weapons. The temple in Muang district said the controversial weapons …..14….. the paintings had been replaced …..15….. ancient weapons, including swords and spears. The changes followed criticism that it was …..16….. for the temple to put contemporary weapons in the …..17….. However, the paintings …..18….. local and …..19….. tourists to the temple.
13.
a. modernity
b. modern
c. mode
14.
a. off
b. in
c. of
15.
a. beyond
b. from
c. with
16.
a. infamous
b. ineffective
c. inappropriate
17.
a. paintings
b. paint
c. painter
18.
a. attraction
b. attracted
c. attractive
19.
a. foreigner
b. foreign
c. foreigners
Section 4
Read each of the following sentences and underline the grammatically correct words in each from the choices given.
20. Temple representatives were asking arms experts for/from/with advice in making changes to the paintings.
21. People have different/differ/differentiate views about the paintings at the temple.
22. One painting featured an ancient warrior carries/carried/carrying an M-79 grenade launcher.
23. The paintings were not painted to/for/on illustrate the political situation.
24. It is a creative idea to show weapons from/in/on the past to the present day.
Vocabulary
- controversial (adj): causing a lot of angry public discussion and disagreement
sniper (n): a person who shoots somebody from a hidden position
unrest (n): a political situation in which people are angry and likely to protest or fight
