Bright riders

By Ajarn Helen Jandamit

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.

It is now common to see a group of young cyclists getting together at the Chamchuri Square shopping mall after work. These young cyclists ride their collapsible mountain and vintage bicycles for both commercial and recreational purposes.

"It's much more convenient than walking," Chamchuri Square Cycling Club member Nonlany Ungwiwatkul said. Nonlany is a business development officer who started riding a bicycle three years ago. She now uses a bike instead of a car to commute between her house and her office.

Nonlany is also a co-founder of BikeXenger, a company that aims to run a sustainable bicycle messenger business. They also buy bicycles for underprivileged children.

Nonlany and other members of the Chamchuri Square Cycling Club help out at the Thai Cycling Association to repair donated bicycles for underprivileged kids in remote villages who cannot afford their own bikes to ride to school.

After watching The Messenger, a Japanese film about an urban bicycle messenger, Nonlany began to think about starting a green and sustainable business in Bangkok that would combine her passion for cycling and with a way to help society. She teamed up with fellow cyclist Poom Siraprapasiri, who created a business plan for BikeXenger. The name combines the words bike and messenger, while the X stands for express. The delivery service now handles anything portable, from documents and books to bike accessories and food.

The delivery fees are very reasonable. A customer is charged 50 baht per delivery, plus 15 baht for every kilometre of service. The distances are calculated using Google Maps software. Once an order is placed via their Facebook page, the team finds the member closest to the customer to take up the delivery assignment.

Section 1

Read the story. Then answer the following multiple-choice questions.

1. What is the story about?

a. Bicycle shops.
b. Distance calculation software.
c. Facebook pages for cyclists.
d. A cycling club and bicycle messenger service.

2. Where does the cyclist group get together?

a. Siam Square.
b. Chamchuri Square.
c. Seacon Square.
d. MBK.

3. How are the distances calculated?

a. With GPS devices.
b. By using MRT and BTS route maps.
c. With department of Highways maps.
d. With Google Maps software.

4. What does the letter "X" in BikeXenger stand for?

a. Experience.
b. Exercise.
c. Express.
d. Excellence.

Section 2

Complete the following sentences with the correct words or phrases from the choices that follow.

5. Nonlany began thinking about a green and sustainable business after ......................................

a. buying a bicycle.
b. watching a Japanese movie.
c. finding a Facebook page for cyclists.
d. using Google Maps software.

6. Nonlany and other club members help out the ...................................... to repair donated bicycles.

a. Thai Recycling Association.
b. Thai Cycling for Health Association.
c. Thai Cycling Association.
d. Traffic and Transport Department.

7. BikeXenger customers are charged 50 baht per delivery in addition to ...................................... baht for each kilometre of service.

a. 15
b. 50
c. 55
d. 500

8. The Thai Cycling Association donates bicycles to the ......................................

a. BikeXenger customers.
b. BikeXenger staff members.
c. underprivileged.
d. Chamchuri Square staff.

Section 3

Read the story. Then, determine whether the following statements are true or false.

9. The BikeXenger team finds the member closest to the customer to take up the delivery assignment.

..................................................................................................................................................

10. Nonlany is a co-founder of the Thai Cycling Association.

..................................................................................................................................................

11. BikeXenger combines the words "bicycle" and "passenger."

..................................................................................................................................................

12. BikeXenger customers can make an order through the company's Facebook page.

..................................................................................................................................................

Section 4

Find words in the story that are synonyms of the following words.

13. Intends ............................................

14. Purchase ........................................

15. Enthusiasm ....................................

16. Fix .....................................................

Section 5

Write down the noun forms of the following verbs and adjectives used in the article.

17. Convenient ...............................................

18. Donated ....................................................

19. Combine ...................................................

20. Portable ...................................................

Section 6

Fill in the blanks in the following passage with the correct words from the choices that follow.

Use of bicycles should be promoted as a national priority, according to the Thailand Cycling Club. ......21...... club called on the government to create infrastructure for cyclists and to issue ......22...... supporting the use of bicycles in daily life. ......23...... also urged the government to reserve one traffic lane on main streets to be used ......24...... a bicycle lane.

21.

a. A
b. An
c. The
d. These

22.

a. regulate
b. regulating
c. regulators
d. regulations

23.

a. Them
b. He
c. She
d. They

24.

a. as
b. in
c. of
d. to