By Ajarn Helen Jandamit
Photos courtesy of Bangkok Post and AFP
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 Kanin Srimaneekulroj from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.
Thai-native Tony Jaa, 39, is an international actor that Thai people are proud of. Recently, he acted in the phenomenally successful Hollywood movie Fast & Furious 7. His latest movie, SPL2, is another interesting movie which his fans shouldn’t miss.
REASONABLE GROUNDS
Many people would probably agree that watching Tony Jaa deliver righteous fury upon scores of bad guys is all good fun. However, when we think about it, the characters Tony Jaa has played have hurt hundreds of people for very little reason.
For example, Ong Bak was about a man who wreaks havoc in the streets of Bangkok, probably causing great damage, and all for the head of a Buddha statue. In Tom Yum Goong, he defeated an international crime cartel because they made a fossil exhibit out of his favourite elephant. It's clear that the reasons for fighting do not matter much.
So imagine how much fun it would be if you could watch Tony Jaa beat the bad guys, but with a reason that actually makes sense?
INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION
Taking place in both Hong Kong and Bangkok, SPL2 is a Hong Kong production starring Wu Jin (Wolf Warriors) as Chan-Chi Kit, an undercover cop infiltrating an organ trafficking cartel. After an operation goes wrong, Kit's cover is blown, and he ends up in prison in Thailand,
There, he meets Chai (Jaa), a security guard trying to provide for his leukaemia-stricken daughter who happens to be waiting for a bone-marrow donation from Kit, who had been chosen from the international donors list. So, to save his sick daughter, Chai breaks Kit out and the two go on an amazingly choreographed rampage to beat the cartel.
PREMIUM MOVIE
The action in this film is top notch. The choreographed fights are superb, with Jaa delivering his exceptional trademark martial arts skills and Wu keeping up very well. Even when things are at their most chaotic (a shoot-out in an airport comes to mind), SPL2 still focuses the audience's attention on the things that matter.
I must mention Kunteera Yordchang as Sa, Chai's daughter, who provides much of the humour and emotion in the film. We gradually see into Sa's endearing character. This is unusual for a film like SPL2 and something I didn't expect when I was going in.
It's a film that is certainly worth watching. Even if the story and characters don't interest you very much, the action definitely will.
Exercises
Section 1
Read the story and answer the following multiple-choice questions.
1. Where does SPL2 take place?
a. In Bangkok.
b. In Hong Kong.
c. Both a and b.
2. Who plays the character Sa?
a. Wu Jng.
b. Kunteera Yordchang.
c. Zhang Jin.
3. Why does Sa need a bone-marrow donation?
a. She has leukaemia.
b. Her leg is broken.
c. She’s having an operation on her knees.
4. How old is Tony Jaa?
a. 32 years old.
b. 35 years old.
c. 39 years old.
5. Who is the character Chan-Chi Kit?
a. He is a boxer.
b. He is a computer hacker.
c. He is a policeman.
6. Why was Chan-Chi Kit jailed in Thailand?
a. He was a member of an organ trafficking cartel.
b. His true identity as an undercover cop was revealed.
c. He traded illegal weapons.
7. Which of the following movies did Tony Jaa not act in?
a. Ong Bak.
b. Tom Yum Goong.
c. Fast & Furious 5.
Section 2
Select the word from the choices given that can best replace the underlined word.
8. The action in this film is top notch.
a. inferior
b. excellent
c. dramatic
9. It’s a film that is certainly worth watching.
a. perfectly
b. definately
c. separately
10. He defeated an international crime cartel.
a. group
b. gambling
c. game
Section 3
Read each of the following sentences and underline the grammatically correct words in each from the choices given.
11. It's a book that is certainly worth reads/reading/to read.
12. I must mention/mentions/mentioned his performance in the show. It was superb.
13. I’m sorry to say that the action in this/these/those film is mediocre.
14. Imagine how much fun you/it/he would be to visit a film studio in Hong Kong.
Section 4
Fill in the blanks in the following passage with the correct words from the choices given.
Every secondary character, from the cartel boss to …..15….. warden of the prison that Chai works at, manages …..16….. be just interesting enough to add another layer …..17….. depth to the film. Zhang Jin's character in particular is …..18….. treat to see in action, with the actor …..19….. to pull off an air of deserved superiority …..20….. when fighting the two leads at once.
15.
a. an
b. the
c. these
16.
a. to
b. too
c. on
17.
a. with
b. for
c. of
18.
a. the
b. an
c. a
19.
a. manages
b. managing
c. to manage
20.
a. even
b. evenly
c. even if
Section 5
Specify whether each of the following words is used in the story as a noun, verb, adjective or adverb.
21. action ……………….
22. favourite ……………….
23. probably ……………….
24. matter ……………….
Vocabulary
- havoc (n): a situation in which there is a lot of damage, destruction or confusion
undercover (adj): working or done secretly in order to find out information for the police or a government
choreograph (v): to design and arrange the steps and movements for dancers in a show
