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.
There are plenty of Western and gourmet options being served from the backs of trucks, vans and tuk-tuks in Bangkok — many of them creatively renovated and strikingly attractive.
TOP TONKATSU
Izakaya lanterns and bamboo slats adorn this renovated pickup truck at The Scene in Lat Prao.
Pathakorn Rodpoung, 28, and friends began Kofuku two years ago after coming up with a distinctive flavour for their tonkatsu (pork cutlet) recipe.
“After countless experiments, we’ve finally found the taste that represents us,” Pathakorn said.
The inspiration was to bring the taste of Japanese street food into the The Scene in Town in Town, one of the hottest spots for bars and restaurants in Bangkok. Kofuku is parked at The Scene on Lat Prao Soi 94 (Town in Town) and is open daily from 6 pm to 1 am. There’s a second branch at Chokchai 4, Soi 37, which is open daily from 6 pm to 12 am.
ICED SWEETIE
Annette i tim Tuk-Tuk is where the sweetness of home-made gelato meets nostalgia and creative thinking. The tuk-tuk is parked at the Major Ratchayothin Complex, at the intersection between Ratchadaphisek and Phahon Yothin roads.
Duangdhamon “Anne” Kaewphongsri, the founder of this three-wheeled freezer, said her goal was to own stylish and hygienic food trucks at popular tourist spots.
“Being able to get around is the key,” Anne said. “With mobility, we can approach our customers wherever and whenever they are. There’s no doubt that a tuk-tuk is the perfect choice here.”
After a year of training in the art of making gelato, Anne launched the first tuk-tuk of its kind.
“Since scooped gelato can be found in almost every shopping mall here, we needed to create something different,” Anne said. “That’s why we sell our gelato on sticks.” The sticks sell for 80 baht each. Many customers like to take photos with the lovely baby blue tuk-tuk in the background.
Annette i tim Tuk-Tuk is located at the Major Ratchayothin Complex. It is open daily from 11 am to 5 pm. You can also find it at Chatuchak Weekend Market.
SUPER SUKIYAKI
Manop Suparbsoonthorn has been operating a suki truck in Chinatown for 28 years. It started off as a combination of a street-side suki outlet and family transport, but the restaurant’s days of movement have come to an end.
“Even though the truck is still, it will always be the trademark of Manop Suki,” Pongsak Suparbsoonthorn, from the second generation of the family business, said. “It is how customers remember us.” While not as striking as the trendy Western-style food trucks, Manop Suki’s truck has a quaint charm and is definitely worth seeking out.
Manop Suki is on Soi Charoen Krung 27, opposite the entrance of Wat Traimitr. It is open daily from 6 pm to 9:30 pm. Prices start from 40 baht per plate.
Exercises
Section 1
Read the story. Then, fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the correct words.
1. Kofuku has ___ branches, one of which is located on _______________.
a. five; Sukhumvit Soi 71
b. four; Pahonyothin Soi 49
c. two; Lat Phrao Soi 94
2. Pathakorn Rodpoung is _____ years old.
a. 28
b. 38
c. 48
3. Prices of sukiyaki at Manop Suki start from ______ per plate.
a. 35 baht
b. 40 baht
c. 45 baht
4. Tonkatsu is made of _________.
a. pork
b. beef
c. chicken
5. Annette i tim Tuk-Tuk is is open daily from _____ to 5pm.
a. 10 am
b. 11 am
c. 1 pm
6. Anne said, “With _______, we can approach our customers wherever they are.”
a. flexibility
b. mobility
c. ability
7. Manop Suki has operated in ________ for _______ years.
a. Sanamluang; 10
b. Chatuchak; 18
c. Chinatown; 28
8. _________________ is situated Soi Charoen Krung 27.
a. Kofuku
b. Annette i tim Tuk Tuk
c. Manop Suku
Section 2
Read the story and decide whether each of the following statements is true or false.
9. Manop Suparbsoonthorn has been selling suki from a truck for 8 years.
……………
10. Duangdhamon Kaewphongsri and her friends founded Kofuku.
……………
11. Tonkatsu is a kind of gelato.
……………
12. One of the Annette i tim Tuk-Tuk branches is located at Chatuchak Weekend Market.
……………
Section 3
Read the following passage. Then, fill in the blanks with the correct words from the choices that follow.
We went to Sukhumvit Soi 38 and followed the tempting smell of …..13….. , sizzling patties. Honey and Mark, the owners of Daniel Thaiger, gained an appreciation for …..14….. trucks and the great taste of American-style burgers while …..15…… in Los Angeles. They brought their passion to Bangkok. “The main …..16….. of our business …..17….. to offer customers casual dining with the best ingredients,” Honey said.
13.
a. heated
b. heat
c. hot
14.
a. food
b. foods
c. feed
15.
a. living
b. lives
c. lived
16.
a. conceive
b. consent
c. concept
17.
a. is
b. am
c. are
Section 4
Read the following sentences and underline the grammatically correct words in each from the choices given.
18. It fell off the back from/of/in a truck.
19. She has been running the sukiyaki shop for/four/fore 28 years.
20. The restaurant is located at/over/beneath the intersection.
Section 5
Match each of the following words used in the story with the correct synonyms from the choices given.
21. taste
a. sample
b. flavour
c. elegance
22. inspiration
a. spiritual
b. idea
c. interpretation
23. countless
a. meaningless
b. priceless
c. numerous
24. distinctive
a. distinguished
b. distant
c. unique
Vocabulary
- gourmet (adj): used to describe food that is of high quality and often expensive
distinctive (adj): having a quality or characteristic that makes something different and easily noticed
nostalgia (n): a feeling of sadness mixed with pleasure when you think about happy times in the past
hygienic (adj): clean and free of bacteria that spreads disease
key (n): an important thing that makes you able to understand or achieve something
gelato (n): ice cream made in a traditional Italian style
