By Ajarn Helen Jandamit
Photos courtesy of Bangkok Post and AFP
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 announcement from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.
Young piano star Mitra Alice Tham from Malaysia will give a recital at the Goethe Institute at 8 pm on July 12. Presented by D&M Music Studio, the concert will see the multiple award-winning musician performing works for piano by Bach, Schumann and Kapustin.
The second half of the programme will feature music written by Mozart and Mendelssohn, plus Prokofiev’s Toccata Opus 11 and Gershwin’s I Got Rhythm.
Mitra gave her first public performance when she was 3 years old, and made her international debut in Japan at the age of 8. She has won many awards at international competitions and has been granted numerous scholarships.
Mitra studied at the Purcell School and the Royal Academy of Music in the UK. She also graduated with a Master’s degree from the Mannes School of Music in New York, where she studied with distinguished pianist Jacob Lateiner.
Her performances in Asia, Europe, the US and the UK have included solo and chamber music concerts. Her performances show her special talent of composing live on stage, and she has often been on television throughout Asia.
The 25-year-old pianist has performed for dignitaries such as Lee Kuan Yew and Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales.
Tickets for Mitra’s Goethe Institute performance cost 250 and 500 baht and are available at Robinson Piano at Siam Discovery. For more information, call 02 658 1080-1.
Exercises
Section 1
Read the story. Then, answer the following multiple-choice questions.
1. When was the piano recital scheduled to take place?
a. On July 4
b. At 8 pm on July 12.
c. The story does not say.
2. How long has Mitra Alice Tham been performing publicly?
a. About 22 years.
b. About 25 years.
c. About 8 years.
3. Where did Mitra perform when she was eight?
a. In the UK.
b. In the US.
c. In Japan.
4. Where did Mitra study with pianist Jacob Lateiner?
a. At the Purcell School.
b. At Mannes School of Music in New York.
c. At the Royal Academy of Music in the UK.
5. What is Mitra’s special talent, according to the article?
a. She can compose music live on stage.
b. She can sing.
c. She can play piano all around the world.
Section 2
Read the story again. Then, decide whether the following statements are true or false.
6. Mitra has a Master's degree from the Mannes School of Music in New York.
……………………
7. Mitra planned to perform works for piano by Kapustin in the first half of her concert.
……………………
8. Mitra is from Singapore.
……………………
9. Mitra gave a recital at Robinson Piano at Siam Discovery.
……………………
10. Mitra has performed in Asia, Europe, the US and the UK.
……………………
Section 3
Underline the grammatically correct tense forms in each sentence from the choices given.
11. The prices of the tickets is/am/are 250 and 500 baht.
12. The musician, who wins/has won/is won many awards, will play the piano.
13. Mitra was 8 years old when she will play/plays/played in Japan for the first time.
14. You can be bought/buy/bought tickets in the Siam Discovery centre at Robinson Piano.
15. Many scholarships have been/has been/be given to her.
Section 4
Find words in the story that are synonyms of the following words.
16. learned ………………
17. contests ………………
18. prizes ………………
19. compositions ………………
20. many ………………
Section 5
Mach each of the following words used in the story with the correct definitions from the choices given.
21. compose
a. to manage to control your feelings or expression
b. to write music
c. to write a letter with a lot of care and thought
22. stage
a. a particular point in a process or an event
b. to organise an event
c. the part of a theatre where the actors or musicians perform
23. performance
a. the act of performing a play, dance, or other form of entertainment
b. the way that a person or group of people performs a piece of music
c. the speed and effectiveness of a machine or vehicle
24. present
a. to offer public entertainment
b. to award something to somebody in a formal manner
c. taking place or existing now
Vocabulary
- prodigy (n): a young person who is unusually intelligent or skilful for their age
recital (adj): a public performance of music or poetry, usually given by one person or a small group
numerous (adj): very many
distinguished (adj): very successful and admired by other people
dignitary (n): a person who has an important official position
