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 Pimchanok Phungbun Na Ayudhya from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.
What do you do when you plan to travel somewhere? Buy or borrow chunky guidebooks, endlessly Google for things like Hong Kong’s best dim sum, pin places on Google Maps or go through hundreds of reviews on travel sites?
FRIENDLY GUIDES
Pre-trip homework can be enjoyable but, at the same time, extremely time-consuming. In contrast, with Citi X 60 Guides, you have 60 well-informed friends to tell you where the must-visit places are if you happen to be in cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris or Tokyo.
The first good thing about the Citi X 60 Guides series is that they are books. When you are abroad, searching for information on your mobile phone may mean that you have to pay such high data roaming charges that they can make you bankrupt. In addition, you may be in a place where there is no Wi-Fi signal. The printed pocket-sized guides allow independent travellers to move around and discover the city without such problems.
HANDPICKED HAUNTS
In each book, 60 local creative people from the selected cities — artists, designers, illustrators, architects, musicians, photographers and directors — handpick their favourite haunts as well as giving you insider tips and info. So the series allows the reader to explore the cities just like these local hipsters.
Each of the Citi X 60 Guides is thoughtfully categorised into sections like Landmarks & Architecture, Cultural & Art Space, Markets & Shops, Restaurants & Cafes and Nightlife to make it easier for the reader to get straight to the hangouts that satisfy their special interests. Added to neighbourhood maps at the back of the book, each of the venues also comes with a QR code directing you to the exact GPS (global positioning system) location on Google Maps.
COOL COMPANION
Because Citi X 60 Guides are aimed at hip, culturally-curious wanderers, you can’t expect to see popular tourist attractions in the series. Besides the carefully selected spots the creative contributors really go to, the books are full of savvy designs, awesome images and artistically illustrated jackets. Each book is a stylish, cool and useful travel companion that fits in the palm of your hand. Pick one up from Asia Books before your next trip.
Exercises
Section 1
Read the story and answer the following multiple-choice questions.
1. What does GPS stand for?
a. General postage services.
b. Global positioning system.
c. General poison sensors.
2. What does the author say about the Citi X 60 Guides series?
a. They are printed pocket-size books.
b. They are printed magazines.
c. They are apps that you can use with your mobile phone.
3. What kind of information does the City X 60 Guides series contain?
a. Must-visit places in different cities.
b. Lists of famous artists in big cities.
c. Recommended menus.
4. Which of the following is NOT one of the categories in the City X 60 Guides series?
a. Markets & Shops.
b. Cultural & Art Space.
c. Souvenirs & Daytime Life.
5. Who writes about their favourite places in the Citi X 60 Guides series?
a. Local policemen.
b. Sixty well-informed people.
c. Foreign travellers.
6. According to the author, how big are the Citi X 60 Guides series?
a. They are large and chunky.
b. They are the size of a mobile phone screen.
c. They fit in the palm of your hand.
7. How do the guides help you to find places in the city you are visiting?
a. They have maps at the back of the book.
b. They provide QR codes directing you to the exact GPS location on Google Maps.
c. They have both of the above.
8. Where can you buy Citi X 60 guides in Thailand?
a. At airports.
b. At Asia Books.
c. At authorised restaurants and cafés.
Section 2
Specify whether each of the following words is used in the story as a preposition, adjective or adverb.
9. somewhere
……….
10. abroad
……….
11. without
……….
12. useful
……….
Section 3
Read each of the following sentences and underline the grammatically correct words in each from the choices given.
13. You can search from/for/on the information at the local library.
14. Beside/Inside/Besides movies and orchestral concerts, you can also listen to lectures at the community centre.
15. The device fits neatly of/in/on the palm of your hand.
Section 4
Find words in the story that are synonyms of the following words.
16. organised …………..
17. valuable ………….
18. self-reliant …………..
19. knowledgeable …………..
Section 5
Fill in the blanks in the following passage with the correct words from the choices given.
Targeting young, …..20….. travelers, City X 60 Guides is a series of pocket-sized city guides. …..21….. published by Victionary, the books are also suitable …..22….. a repeat visitor …..23….. a basic understanding …..24….. the city.
20.
a. independence
b. independently
c. independent
21.
a. recent
b. recently
c. recentness
22.
a. for
b. to
c. in
23.
a. within
b. with
c. whether
24.
a. off
b. of
c. under
Vocabulary
- chunky (adj): thick and heavy
hipster (n): somebody who is considered fashionable
savvy (adj): having practical knowledge and understanding of something
