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 Kritini Upayokin from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.
For Kittikorn U-dompol, becoming a freelance football commentator wasn’t about escaping a boring day job. “It was more about one thing leading to another,” said the former football columnist. He had previously spent more than six years writing for the Siam Sports Syndicate.
FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE
One night, the late football commentator Tharavut Nopchinda asked him to try being a commentator and Kittikorn agreed.
“In my first match I got tongue-tied,” said the 48-year-old, who has been commentating on live European football telecasts for 15 years. “But I didn’t give up.” He took a diction course to make sure he was fit for the job.
“It’s very important to speak with correct and clear pronunciation because it’s an official broadcast,” he said.
POPULAR COMMENTATOR
Kittikorn is in high demand to cover everything from the English Premier League to Spanish La Liga, as well as the World Cup and Champions League. For live matches he has to narrate what happens on the pitch. He also needs to listen to the English commentary to clarify anything the camera misses. However, covering European sports means unfriendly time zones and therefore many late nights.
“My work hours are mostly at night,” Kittikorn said. “I’ve been doing this for more than 10 years now so I haven’t slept for a decade.”
Kittikorn said he has been double-booked sometimes and had to reject a client, but he added the longer he does the job, the more he loves it.
“The good thing about being a football commentator is that I get paid for watching my favourite sport and talking about it,” he said. “It’s a dream job, isn’t it?”
STRONG PASSION
Kittikorn’s passion for racing also led to another job as a freelance event organiser.
“I helped my former boss Aekachai Nopchinda set up a car race,” he said. “I’ve commentated on racing telecasts many times, so I’m used to the camera angles and understand how to hold such an event.” One event led to another and Kittikorn set up an event organising company named MIQ2U (which stands for “Am I cute to you?”).
Kittikorn admits that his commentating job is not stable and there is a risk of not getting paid at times. “I choose to stick with my trustworthy customers like Hino, SCG and TrueVisions.” However, he doesn’t wish to go back to a desk job.
“How many people get to do what they want?” he said. “It’s been a pretty good ride.”
Exercises
Section 1
Read the story and answer the following multiple-choice questions.
1. How long did Kittikorn U-dompol write for the Siam Sports Syndicate?
a. For two years.
b. For more than six years.
c. For 15 years.
2. Who persuaded Kittikorn to try being a sports commentator?
a. The World Cup and Champions League.
b. Aekachai Nopchinda.
c. Tharavut Nopchinda.
3. Why does Kittikorn consider commentating to be a dream job?
a. Because he gets paid for watching his favourite sport and talking about it.
b. Because he travels through Europe reporting on football.
c. Because he works in unfriendly time zones.
4. What did Kittikorn do to prepare to be a sports commentator?
a. He spent six years writing for the Siam Sports Syndicate.
b. He took a diction course.
c. He helped his former boss set up a car race.
5. What does MIQ2U stand for?
a. Most Important Qualifications to You.
b. Am I Qualified to You?
c. Am I Cute to You?
6. What are the negative aspects of working freelance as a sports commentator?
a. There is a risk of not getting paid at times
b. The job is not stable
c. Both a and b.
7. At what time of the day does Kittikorn usually work?
a. Mostly at night.
b. In unfriendly time zones.
c. The feature does not say.
Section 2
Read the story and decide whether the following statements are true or false.
8. Kittikorn is 48 years old.
………………………
9. Kittikorn has been commentating on live European football telecasts for more than a decade.
………………………
10. Kittikorn said he wants to go back to a desk job.
………………………
11. Kittikorn said his commentating job is financially stable.
………………………
Section 3
There is one word that is grammatically incorrect in each of the following sentences. Underline the incorrect word in each and write down the grammatically correct word in the space provided.
12. It’s a dream job to get paid for watch my favourite sport and talking about it.
13. I have to reject some of the client’s requests because my work schedule is fully book.
14. My reliable clients includes Hino, SCG and TrueVisions.
15. It is essential to speak with correct and clearly pronunciation.
Section 4
Fill in the blanks in the following passage with the correct words from the choices given.
“A commentator must be accurate and informative. I must …..16….. able to keep up with the pace of the …..17….. while listening to what’s going on (in the English …..18…..) — which is necessary because I am not at the …..19….. “
16.
a. be
b. am
c. been
17.
a. gamer
b. game
c. gaming
18.
a. commentary
b. commentator
c. commenting
19.
a. status
b. station
c. stadium
Section 5
Write down the adjective forms of the following words used in the story.
20. previously ……………….
21. understand ……………….
22. helped ……………….
23. risk ……………….
24. loves ……………….
Vocabulary
- tongue-tied (adj): not able to speak because you are shy or nervous
diction (n): the way that somebody pronounces words
commentary (n): a spoken description of an event that is given while it is happening, especially on the radio or television
telecast (n): a broadcast on television
