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 by Duangkamol Panya from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.
Lieutenant colonel Wanchana Sawasdee, better known as Colonel Bird, is among the very few men in uniform who have acted for the Thai silver screen. Colonel Bird was excited when film director MC Chatrichalerm Yukol chose him for the lead role in his King Naresuan films. Initially, he thought of the project as just another military assignment.
As Colonel Bird’s main focus is his day job as a soldier, MC Chatrichalerm had to get special permission from the Royal Thai Army to cast him in the epic five-part movie series, which began filming in 2002. The final film in the series was released on May 29.
“Since Tan Mui, or MC Chatrichalerm, had planned from the beginning that whoever was going to portray King Naresuan in his film had to be a real soldier, and since the set for the King Naresuan film in Kanchanaburi was built next to the military camp I worked in, I was sent to the casting team along with other 9th Infantry Division soldiers for a photo shoot,” Colonel Bird said. “My commanders told me to go there, so I followed their orders.”
Colonel Bird added that he had no idea about the movie at the time. When asked whether he ever wondered why he was chosen to portray King Naresuan — one of the greatest heroes of Siam’s history — Colonel Bird is still unsure.
“Tan Mui never told me exactly why he chose me to portray the role,” he said. “However, he once said jokingly that people referred to King Naresuan as The Black Prince for a reason, and that reason might be because he was very dark-skinned.”
The 40-year-old lieutenant colonel has a perfect physique for the role, with piercing eyes and a well-built, muscular body. Despite starring in each of the four blockbuster movies over the past decade, the colonel’s army role has always been more important. He also admits that playing the role of an ancient warrior helped him learn about the battlefield hardships his predecessors endured.
When asked whether acting or military training was more difficult, he replied that both acting and military training require self-discipline.
“I believe that with self-discipline, you can perform well in any profession,” he said.
Colonel Bird said he felt a sense of loss knowing there would be no more Naresuan movies coming out.
“It has been 12 years since I first became involved with this project,” he said, adding that the cast and crew had become like a family to him.
Exercises
Section 1
Read through the story. Then, answer the following multiple choice questions.
1. What is Colonel Bird’s real name?
a. MC Chatrichalerm Yukol
b. Wanchana Sawasdee
c. King Naresuan
2. Where was Colonel Bird working when he was sent to the casting team?
a. The story does not say.
b. On a film set.
c. At a military camp in Kanchanaburi
3. What might have been the reason that King Naresuan called the Black Prince, according to MC Chatrichalerm Yukol?
a. Because he was very cruel.
b. Because he always dressed in black.
c. Because he had dark skin.
4. What is Colonel Bird’s military rank?
a. MC.
b. Lieutenant colonel.
c. General.
5. When was the final film in the King Naresuan series released?
a. On May 29 this year.
b. 12 years ago.
c. In 2002.
Section 2
Read through the story again. Then, fill in the blanks is the following sentences from the choices given.
6. The epic movie series, which has ______ parts, began filming in 2002.
a. three
b. four
c. five
d. six
7. Chatrichalerm Yukol ________ the King Naresuan films.
a. acted in
b. directed
c. starred in
8. The set for the King Naresuan film was located in _____________________ .
a. Kanchanaburi.
b. Suphan Buri.
c. Bangkok.
Section 3
Read through the story. Then, decide whether the following statements are true or false.
9. There have been three blockbuster Naresuan films made in the past decade.
………………
10. Wanchana Sawasdee selected MC Chatrichalerm Yukol to play the lead role in the King Naresuan films.
………………
11. The Naresuan movie series began filming in 2002.
………………
12. Colonel Bird first became involved in the Naresuan films 10 years ago.
………………
Section 4
Read the following passage. Then, choose the grammatically correct words from the choices given to fill in the blanks.
The five-part historical epic, …..13….. has been a phenomenon in the Thai film industry since the first film …..14….. released, is going to …..15….. its conclusion soon. Colonel Bird confessed that he felt sad knowing there would be …..16….. more Naresuan movies coming out.
“I always felt …..17….. home when I was on the set. I spent a …..18….. of time there with the cast and crew .…. 19 …… have become like a family to me,” he said.
13.
a. which
b. who
c. whose
14.
a. is
b. was
c. were
15.
a. reached
b. reaching
c. reach
16.
a. no
b. not
c. never
17.
a. at
b. in
c. on
18.
a. number
b. lot
c. few
19.
a. whose
b. what
c. who
Section 5
Write down the adjective forms of the following words used in the story.
20. profession ……………………..
21. initially ……………………..
22. helped ……………………..
Section 6
Find words in the story that are antonyms of the following words.
23. successors ……………………..
24. seriously ……………………..
Vocabulary
- silver screen (n): the movie industry
portray (v): to act a particular role in a film or play
blockbuster (n): something very successful, especially a very successful book or film
self-discipline (n): the ability to make yourself do something, especially something difficult or unpleasant
