By Ajarn Helen Jandamit
Photos courtesy of Bangkok Post
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 from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.
With his well-paid job at a private hospital, Dr Sukamon Wipaweeponkul could own a car. Going against social expectations, however, he chooses not to. Sukamon, chief of the Psychiatric Division of Phyathai 2 Hospital, believes that the rising number of cars is becoming a tough problem for city commuters.
Sukamon feels that last year’s first-car tax rebate policy boosts the demand for cars and makes commuters more dependent on them. The psychiatrist, who can’t drive, has relied on bicycles and public transport for the past seven years.
The 48-year-old psychiatrist chose to move into a house in the city that was easily accessible by public transport. The parking space on the ground floor houses his five bicycles, including a folding bike for short-distance rides, a mountain bike and a touring bike for longer routes.
Sukamon encourages Bangkok commuters to live an independent life and not to rely on unpredictable traffic. Independent commuters should be able to rely on themselves or use a reliable public transport system.
From his house, about a five-minute walk from BTS Krung Thonburi, Sukamon can get to work in the Sanam Pao area in 45 minutes by public transport and to Suvarnabhumi airport in about 60 to 95 minutes.
Motorcycle taxis are a popular option for commuters, but Sukamon doesn’t trust strangers.
“I don’t want to put my life in the hands of a motorcycle taxi driver,” he said.
When he was a child, Sukamon got around by bus. As a medical student at Khon Kaen University, he travelled around on a motorcycle. He used the same form of transport when he moved to Bangkok to work as a psychiatrist. His father was the owner and head technician of a garage, so Sukamon grew up seeing broken-down cars and developed a negative view of them.
“It gave me the impression that cars were high maintenance and cost a fortune to own and run,” he said, recalling that his father’s garage was never empty. The garage later closed down as neither he nor his four brothers and sisters were interested in continuing the family business.
As well as improving health, Sukamon believes that cycling can boost the economy. He also feels that the use of public transport distributes income more evenly.
“Driving your own car and buying petrol to fill the fuel tank gives money to big businessmen,” he said.
Sukamon hopes to see more government support for cycling, including a reduction in the current 30 percent import tax for bikes. He also hopes the Bangkok governor will continue his plan to improve the cycling infrastructure in the city as promised, including proper bike lanes and ring route to connect inner and outer Bangkok.
Exercises
Section 1
Read through the story. Then, answer the following multiple choice questions.
1. Why does Sukamon want to promote cycling in Bangkok?
a. He thinks that cycling instead of driving can help commuters avoid problems with unpredictable traffic.
b. He thinks that cycling improves health.
c. Both a and b are correct.
2. Which of the following would Sukamon most likely do in his job?
a. Perform operations on people with physical injuries.
b. Treat patients with mental illnesses.
c. Help children with fatal diseases.
3. Why doesn’t Sukamon want to own a car?
a. He doesn’t earn enough money in his job to be able to afford one.
b. He thinks that cars are a waste of money and cause many problems in Bangkok.
c. His father was a train driver.
4. How did Sukamon get around when he was a university student?
a. By bus.
b. By bicycle.
c. By motorcycle.
5. How does Sukamon get from his house to where he works in the Sanam Pao area?
a. He walks and then catches the BTS.
b. He cycles.
c. He takes an air-conditioned bus.
Section 2
Read the story again. Then, decide whether the following statements are true or false.
6. Sukamon’s father's garage was never empty.
…………………………
7. Sukamon has four brothers and sisters.
…………………………
8. Sukamon’s father used to be a medical student at Khon Kaen University.
…………………………
9. It takes Sukamon about 60-95 minutes to get to Suvarnabhumi airport from his home.
…………………………
10. Sukamon keeps 15 bicycles on his ground floor.
…………………………
Section 3
Underline the misspelled word in each of the following sentences and write down the correct spelling in the space provided.
11. He was caught in a terrible traffic jam when he was in a taxi on the expresway.
…………………………
12. City commutres are having problems with the increasing number of cars.
…………………………
13. Motorcircle taxis are a popular option for commuters.
…………………………
14. He used to travell by bus when he was a child.
…………………………
Section 4
Find words in the story that are antonyms of the following words.
15. Positive ………………
16. Predictable ………………
17. Expense ………………
18. Increase ………………
19. Improper ………………
Section 5
Read the following passage. Then, fill in the blanks with the correct words from the choices given.
Sukamon may be considered lucky to be able to …..20….. a house in the city. But that was by …..21….. . The psychiatrist could have bought a large house with …..22….. big garden in the outskirts of the city. However, …..23….. not possible there to travel around by public transport and …..24….. would have had to get a car.
20.
a. affords
b. affording
c. afford
21.
a. choose
b. choice
c. chose
22.
a. the
b. an
c. a
23.
a. its
b. it’s
c. sits
24.
a. he
b. she
c. they
Vocabulary
- psychiatric (adj): relating to the treatment of mental illness
rebate (n): an amount of money that is paid back to you because you have paid too much
unpredictable (adj): that cannot be predicted because it changes a lot or depends on too many different things
commuter (n): a person who travels into a city to work each day
fortune (n): a large amount of money
evenly (adj): in a smooth, regular or equal way
infrastructure (n): the basic systems and services that are necessary for a country or an organisation to run smoothly, for example buildings, transport, water and power supplies, etc.
