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 Napamon Roongwitoo from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.
Not everybody takes their childhood dreams seriously, especially when they involve action scenes from Jackie Chan movies and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Charlie Ruedpokanon grew up watching action movies and TV shows and wanted to be a superhero one day. What made him different was the fact that he pursued his dream instead of just letting it fly away.
“My parents were fine when I said I wanted to take up martial arts, but convincing them that it was what I wanted to do for a living was a different matter,” Charlie said. “They said I should have a plan B.”
Charlie is an experienced Hollywood stuntman, whose work includes the Bangkok-set Only God Forgives, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, The Man With the Iron Fists: Sting of the Scorpion and the well-known Thai action film Tom Yum Goong 2.
Born and raised in New York City, Charlie graduated with a degree in business management from Stony Brook University in New York State, following his parents’ expectation that he would have a white-collar career and a stable life. But his real passion was Shaolin kung fu, which he learned at the Shaolin Temple Overseas Headquarters in New York.
When you look at Charlie you would not think he had been in many Hollywood movies. Humble and quiet, he does not boast about his work or talents.
But if you see him in action, words are not necessary. Charlie can instantly transform into another person. His eyes are fierce, his face determined. He can perform jaw-dropping moves that you don’t expect to see off movie screens. The 540 kick, for example, which Charlie does effortlessly and flawlessly, involves a rotation of 540 degrees in one swift move.
After graduation, Charlie didn’t go job hunting — he went straight into the world of martial arts.
“My parents thought they would give me some time to live the way I wanted, but maybe they did not expect it to be such a long-term affair,” he said, laughing. “Even today, whenever they phone, they still ask me whether I’m looking for a proper job.”
Exercises
Section 1
Read the story. Then, answer the following multiple-choice questions.
1. When Charlie Ruedpokanon was a child, what did he want to be when he grew up?
a. A Mutant Ninja Turtle.
b. A superhero.
c. A businessman.
2. What does Charlie do for a living now?
a. He’s a singer.
b. He’s a businessman.
c. He’s a stuntman.
3. What made Charlie different from most other children?
a. He made his childhood dreams come true.
b. He was always looking for a proper job.
c. He has a white-collar career and a stable life.
4. What was Charlie most passionate about when he was younger?
a. Shaolin kung fu.
b. The 540 kick .
c. Jackie Chan movies.
5. Where did Charlie learn martial arts?
a. At the Shaolin Temple Overseas Headquarters in New York.
b. In Beijing.
c. In Bangkok.
6. Which of the following best describes Charlie’s personality?
a. He is humble, quiet and not boastful.
b. He is fierce and determined.
c. He is stable and serious.
7. According to this feature, which of the following films did Charlie not perform in?
a. Tom Yum Goong 2.
b. Fast and Furious 2.
c. Sting of the Scorpion.
8. How do Charlie’s parents feel about his job as a stuntman?
a. They do not think that being a stuntman is a proper job.
b. They used to say he should have a plan B.
c. His parents expect him to become a businessman.
Section 2
Read through story again. Then, decide whether the following statements are true or false.
9. Charlie let his childhood dream fly away.
………….
10. Charlie used to like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when he was younger.
………….
11. Charlie grew up in London.
………….
12. He finished a master’s degree in marketing communication.
………….
Section 3
Fill in the blanks in the following passage with the correct words from the choices given.
Despite all the risks, the recognition stuntmen receive …..13….. as Charlie describes it, almost non-existent. He has been …..14….. many large-scale movies, but his face has never …..15….. shown, …..16….. do people recognise his name.
13.
a. are
b. were
c. is
14.
a. in
b. at
c. with
15.
a. been
b. being
c. be
16.
a. or
b. nor
c. either
Section 4
Underline one grammatically correct word in each of the following sentences from the choices given.
17. Not many people really believe that they can become/became/becoming what they hope to be.
18. Shaolin kung fu was what Charlie was really enthusiasm/enthuse/enthusiastic about.
19. Perhaps they didn’t expect me to continue to be interested/interesting/interest in it for such a long time.
20. He started work/worked/working in martial arts immediately.
Section 5
Find words used in the story that are synonyms of the following words.
21. truth ……………………
22. particularly ……………………
23. anticipate ……………………
24. appropriate ……………………
Vocabulary
- white-collar (adj): working in an office
fierce (adj): very angry and aggressive
flawlessly (adv): perfectly; without any mistakes
