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 Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.
Here is a guide to some of the most popular stereotypes in Thailand today. A stereotype is an oversimplified image of a particular type of person or group. Here are three that you may have frequently heard of.
GRIEN DAY
The word grien signifies the very short haircut of Thai high school students and the stereotype is of childish, selfish and careless behaviour.
Most grien are boys and they are often aggressive, annoying and self-centred. Sometimes the term grien is used for people who pretend they are knowledgeable about a particular subject, but in fact have no idea what they are talking about.
Grien are very aggressive towards other grien and people they don’t know. They often complain and get angry easily. Being extremely annoying is their specialty. They will do anything to get attention. They think they are cool, but in fact they are not.
In the past, grien could be easily recognised by their short haircuts, but nowadays it is easier to spot them from their behaviour. They are young, loud and dressed in a way that stands out from the crowd. They are often unintelligent and insensitive.
You can usually find them online, but they can be seen partying in front of convenience stores too. In the late 1960s, these people were called dek hard.
THE TING THING
Ting are screaming girls who spend their lives following their idols either in person or on social media. Ting can be crazy fans of just about anybody, but often follow Korean pop stars and local teen idols.
The word ting literally means earlobe, and is derived from the previous limit for the length of high school girl’s hair. Ting are obsessive about the person they follow.
When teen idol Justin Bieber was in Bangkok for a concert last year, many ting went to greet him at the airport. Not many got to see him, but thousands screamed at the poles and floor Bieber walked near. A day before the concert, Bieber stayed at a hotel on Sathon Road. Despite the pouring rain, many ting stood there all day singing his songs.
Even though most ting are students, they somehow manage to have enough cash for expensive concert tickets. They make high-pitched screams.
Ting blend in with the rest of us until their hero appears, then they break cover and start to scream. At concerts or shows, ting usually arrive in groups with LED signs of their idol’s name.
You can find them at airports, concert venues, shopping centres or anywhere the ting’s idol is. In late 1980s, people who were crazy about singers or movie stars were called fan.
IMPOSSIBLE PEOPLE
Im is a word used for people who make the impossible possible and it is most popularly used among students who attend weekend school.
The term im comes from impossible. This is because those who fall into this stereotype seem to be able to solve very difficult math questions and other superhuman brainy feats. Some people think im can solve any kind of problem. Not many people want to be friends with im, but they attract those who want free lessons.
Im perceive the world clearly and differently from others. They are highly intelligent. They are able to solve all kinds of academic problems. Im don’t have many friends, so you can normally find them by themselves. They often wear big glasses and carry big bags filled with books.
They might be found at a library or school or they may be hanging around with their teachers.
There were many similar terms in the early 1990s: dek na hong (front-row students), dek rian (students who like studying) and dek nerd (nerdy child) among them.
Exercises
Section 1
Read through the story. Then, answer the following multiple choice questions.
1. Which stereotype consists mostly of girls?
a. Im.
b. Grien.
c. Ting.
2. ________ are usually aggressive towards people they don’t know.
a. Im.
b. Grien.
c. Ting.
3. Which stereotype is best known for academic skills and intelligence?
a. Im.
b. Grien.
c. Ting.
4. Which stereotype seems to have problem-solving skills?
a. Im.
b. Grien.
c. Ting.
5. Where are you most likely to spot a ting?
a. In a library.
b. At a university.
c. At an airport or concert.
6. What was an old-fashioned name for a ting?
a. Dek nerd.
b. Dek naew.
c. Fan.
7. Where does the term ‘Im’ come from?
a. It’s an abbreviation from the word “impossible.”
b. It’s an abbreviation from the word “imagine.”
c. It’s an abbreviation from the word “immediately.”
8. How can you spot an Im?
a. They often scream and carry a LED sign with an idol’s name on it.
b. They are young and loud and dress in unusual ways.
c. They wear big glasses and carry a big bag filled with books.
Section 2
Read the story again. Then, decide whether the following statements are true or false.
9. Ting are usually found at libraries where they spend time reading academic books.
……………….
10. Im are known for their poor academic performance.
……………….
11. Grien attract people who want free lessons.
……………….
12. Im wear fashionable glasses and carry fashion magazines.
……………….
13. Grien are known for childish, selfish and careless behaviour.
……………….
Section 3
Fill in the blanks in the following passage with grammatically correct words from the choices given.
At one tutorial school in Siam Square, students were taking a …..14….. class to prepare for O-NET exams. The …..15….. challenged the students with an intentionally wrong equation that …..16….. was expected to solve. The 36 teenagers in the room were silent …..17….. uncomfortable …..18….. they couldn’t answer. One of the students later …..19….. straight to the whiteboard and told the teacher that he had written the question wrongly. After he corrected the equation, he solved it …..20….. a minute.
14.
a. specially
b. specialty
c. special
15.
a. teaching
b. student
c. tutor
16.
a. nothing
b. nobody
c. neither
17.
a. and
b. or
c. nor
18.
a. because of
b. because
c. however
19.
a. walked
b. walks
c. walk
20.
a. among
b. within
c. about
Section 4
Match each of the following words with the synonyms that best match how the words are used in the story.
21. term
a. semester
b. terminal
c. word
22. spot
a. pimple
b. notice
c. acne
23. aggressive
a. passive
b. hostile
c. gentle
24. insensitive
a. unsympathetic
b. inactive
c. considerate
Vocabulary
- stereotype (n): a fixed idea or image that many people have of a particular types of person or thing, but which is often not true in reality
oversimplify (v): to describe a situation, a problem, etc. in a way that is too simple and ignores some of the facts
specialty (n): something that somebody is good at
obsessive (adj): thinking too much about one particular person or thing
feat (n): an action or piece of work that needs skill, strength or courage
