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 Pimrapee Thungkasemvathana from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.
Somsak Boonkam, 30, spent most of the summer of 2012 living in Doi Tung Lodge, working as an intern at the Mae Fah Luang Foundation with the aim of developing a homestay tourism programme for the nearby villages of Baan Suan Pa and Si Phan Rai.
He drank coffee that was grown about 10 minutes away and worked in an office with a mountain view. The mornings were foggy, with a sea of clouds floating in the valley beyond the office. Bananas cost 10 baht a bunch.
Some days were spent speaking with local villagers, learning their culture and their needs, making friends with the young children and earning the trust of the elders. Others were spent drafting business plans, calculating operational costs and finding ways to develop tourism in the villages as a source of sustainable income, while simultaneously preserving local cultures. With the villagers, he planned activities for tourists and set guidelines for homestays.
Somsak continued to work for the Mae Fah Luang Foundation after the end of his internship. In September 2012, he founded Local Alike, a social enterprise which uses tourism to develop local communities. It gives tourists the opportunity to discover local lifestyles while emphasising the value of natural resources and old cultures. He now works full-time for Local Alike, sustaining the enterprise through grants from social entrepreneur competitions and partnerships with organisations like the Thailand Community Based Tourism Institute.
“I grew up in a small town in Roi Et province, and I noticed how people in the city have prejudices against people from rural areas.” Somsak said. That’s why he makes sure locals play a large part in the planning stages.
Local Alike works with communities to set up tour packages, guides and management strategies. The people take ownership of their own communities, while Local Alike helps with promotional materials such as videos and reservation websites. It also listens to feedback from tourists who have stayed in the area.
Local Alike currently works with eight communities in the north and south of Thailand and plans to keep expanding. Somsak enjoys his work, saying that to him it feels like a vacation.
Exercises
Section 1
Read the story. Then, answer the following multiple choice questions.
1. Where does Somsak Boonkam come from?
a. Doi Tung.
b. Roi Et.
c. Germany.
2. Which organisation did Somsak start?
a. The Mae Fah Luang Foundation.
b. The Thailand Community Based Tourism Institute.
c. Local Alike.
3. Which source of income does he receive and use to run his enterprise?
a. Money that he saved at Doi Tung Lodge.
b. Revenues generated from the Mae Fah Luang Foundation.
c. Grants from social entrepreneur competitions and partnerships with organisations.
4. What did Somsak do at the Mae Fah Luang Foundation?
a. He was an intern developing a homestay tourism programme.
b. He was an engineer.
c. He made coffee and promotional materials.
5. Somsak said that his current work is like a __________________ .
a. vacation
b. nightmare
c. dream
6. How many communities does Somsak’s enterprise currently work with?
a. Eight.
b. Nine.
c. 10.
7. When was Somsak’s enterprise established?
a. In 2010.
b. In 2011.
c. In 2012.
8. How old is Somsak?
a. 25.
b. 30.
c. 35.
Section 2
Read through the story again. Then, decide whether the following statements are true or false.
9. Somsak does not drink coffee.
………………………..
10. Somsak is currently working full time at the Mae Fah Luang Foundation.
………………………..
11. Local Alike only works with communities located in the east of Thailand.
………………………..
12. Somsak continued working at the Mae Fah Luang Foundation after the end of his internship.
………………………..
13. While Somsak was with the Mae Fah Luang Foundation, he planned activities for tourists and set guidelines for homestays.
………………………..
Section 3
In the following passage, fill in the blanks with the correct words from the choices given.
With …..14….. team, Somsak roamed village grounds, trekked to waterfalls and …..15….. the significance of the headdresses worn…..16….. Akha women. With the …..17….. of the villagers, he planned …..18….. for tourists and set guidelines for homestays.
14.
a. his
b. he
c. him
15.
a. learn
b. learns
c. learned
16.
a. by
b. within
c. under
17.
a. assist
b. assistant
c. assistance
18.
a. activity
b. activities
c. actively
Section 4
Specify whether each of the following words is used in the story as a noun, adjective or adverb.
19. needs ……………
20. currently ……………
21. sustainable ……………
Section 5
Find words in the story that are synonyms of the following words.
22. misty …………….
23. venture …………….
24. rules …………….
Vocabulary
- intern (n): a student or new graduate who is getting practical experience in a job
homestay (n): a private house offering accommodation to paying guests
enterprise (n): a company or business developed by people rather than the government of a country
entrepreneur (n): a person who makes money by starting or running a business
