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 Suthon Sukphisit from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.
When you see the chedi (stupa) of Saket Temple, also called the Golden Mount, wrapped in red cloth, especially at night when it is brightly illuminated, you know the temple’s annual fair is under way. At this time, a visit is a must, because it is an opportunity to see the biggest and oldest real Thai temple fair in Bangkok.
HISTORICAL STORY
Saket Temple Fair goes back at least 100 years. It’s probably true that in the past it was the only event of its kind that everybody in Bangkok and the nearby provinces looked forward to. Bangkok was a small city then and there was no other celebration that was fun in so many ways. It took place at just the right time of year, when there was no more rain and the weather was cool.
Rice farmers would just have finished milling and selling their crop and would have money to spend. The last two days of the fair were also at the same time as the Loy Krathong festival.
RESPECTFUL CLIMB
The first and most important part of a visit to the fair was to climb to the top of the Golden Mount to pay respect to the Buddhist relics contained in the chedi. Then it was time to enjoy the view of Bangkok. A century ago, before there were tall buildings, the top of the Golden Mount was the highest point in the city. After that, visitors were ready to go down and enjoy the pleasures of the fair.
There was an amusement park for children where they could ride a Ferris wheel, win a doll by shooting at targets with an air gun or climb onto a bucking mechanical horse. There were coloured balloons, masks of mythical characters from Thai literature and toy metal boats to buy.
MERMAIDS AND MONSTERS
After buying a ticket, kids could go into special tents to see all kinds of ghosts and monsters. Mermaids or a creature with the head of a dog and the body of a snake might hide in there. There was even a monkey theatre.
There was also a stage where music was played and singing contests were held. Saket Temple Fair gave talented singers an opportunity to perform and be recognised. Anybody who did well was often on the way to a professional singing career.
Nowadays Bangkok is a very different place, but people still enjoy Saket Temple Fair.
Exercises
Section 1
Read the story and answer the following multiple-choice questions.
1. Saket Temple is also called _________________.
a. The Golden Mount.
b. The City of Angels.
c. The Temple of Dawn.
2. According to the author, what was the most important reason to visit to the temple fair?
a. To celebrate the Loy Krathong festival.
b. To pay respect to the Buddhist relics housed in the chedi.
c. To enjoy the view of Bangkok.
3. In the past, the top of the Golden Mont was the _______________ spot in Bangkok, according to the author.
a. lowest
b. coldest
c. highest
4. What is the clue indicating that the temple’s annual fair is being held?
a. The temple chedi is wrapped in red cloth.
b. The temple chedi is wrapped in red cloth and brightly lit.
c. There is a monkey theatre.
5. In the past, why would farmers have money to spend at the fair?
a. They would have just finished milling and selling their crop.
b. They might have won a singing contest.
c. They might have sold a lot of sweet food.
6. How does the author describe Bangkok a hundred years ago?
a. Bangkok was full of theatres.
b. Bangkok was a modern city.
c. Bangkok was a small city.
7. What did children see at the annual fair?
a. Ghosts and monsters.
b. Mermaids.
c. Both a and b.
8. How did Saket Temple Fair help to nurture a singing career?
a. The fair featured a singing contest, giving an opportunity to talented singers to be recognised.
b. The temple allowed talented singers to perform live at the fair.
c. The temple sold cassettes and CD records by amateur singers.
Section 2
Specify whether each of the following statements is true or false.
9. Saket Temple is located in Nonthaburi.
……….
10. The temple’s annual fair featured a monkey theatre.
……….
11. The temple’s annual fair didn’t feature a singing contest.
……….
12. The fair has been held for more than 50 years.
……….
Section 3
Read each of the following sentences and underline the grammatically correct words in each from the choices given.
13. Many artists performed at/on/out the temple’s annual fair.
14. The stupa was wrapped within/with/off a long red cloth.
15. You are encouraging/encourage/encouraged to climb to the peak of the temple where you can see a scenic view of the city.
Section 4
Fill in the blanks in the following passage with the correct words from the choices given.
As with all things, changes of fashion …..16….. by time have reshaped …..17….. aspects of Saket Temple Fair, but it is still something not to be …..18…... It is a traditional Thai temple fair in all its glory and you should be sure to reserve at least one day …..19….. November 21 and 30 to join the crowds.
16.
a. brings
b. brought
c. bring
17.
a. much
b. some
c. little
18.
a. miss
b. missing
c. missed
19.
a. from
b. since
c. between
Section 5
Specify whether each of the following words is used in the story as a countable or uncountable noun in the space provided.
20. city ……………….
21. money ……………….
22. literature ……………….
23. career ……………….
24. temple ……………….
Vocabulary
- illuminate (v): to shine light on something
relic (n): a part of the body or clothing of a holy person, or something that they owned
