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 from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.
Blind musicians playing for loose change used to be common on Bangkok’s streets, but now they’re not so popular. Even rarer are blind bands that play with skill and verve, like Peem Narkkhwan and his friend.
Peem Narkkhwan, a 28-year-old guitarist explained how he lost his sight.
“I was born early and had to spend around three months in an incubator,” he said. “The oxygen given to me ruined my sight.”
Being blind has had no effect on Peem’s musical ability. He learned how to play the guitar at the School for the Blind and he has been developing his skills ever since. He learns each song by listening, memorising and practising.
Three years ago one of his juniors invited him to play with their band, and that was how his career as a busker started. On weekdays, Peem holds a steady job as a telephone operator. However, on weekends, passers-by may see him busking on public streets. He and his friends, all of whom are blind musicians, perform at the bi-monthly Sunday market in Muang Thong Thani. On some Saturdays they perform near the BTS at Victory Monument.
Peem’s guitar skills are impressive, and he takes turns singing with his friend, sometimes harmonising while his friend sings lead.
Peem said that he felt awkward and nervous when he first started busking.
“I was so shy, I didn’t know how to stand or act properly,” he recalled of his first street performance.
Peem has experienced what it is like to be different from the crowd. At school, some of his friends wouldn’t tell him what the teachers wrote on the board. That was just one obstacle he had to face. Now, as an adult with a full-time job, he acknowledges that it is not an easy life for anybody who is physically impaired.
Peem appreciates the kindness given to him and his friends. He recalled that some stall holders at the market offered his band big umbrellas to shelter them from the rain.
Peem admits feeling low at times, but he usually seems to stay positive and bright. To him, being blind does not make him inferior. He accepts that he is different and gets on with things.
“I think that everybody has strong points and weaknesses,” he said. “Sometimes we may feel hopeless about everything we do, but it’s up to us to take a stand and fight back.”
Exercises
Section 1
Read the story. Then, answer the following multiple-choice questions.
1. According to the story, why is it difficult to find musicians like Peem and his friend?
a. There are not many blind musicians busking on Bangkok streets these days.
b. Blind bands that play with skill and verve are rare.
c. Both a and b are correct.
2. What is Peem’s main job?
a. He is a telephone operator.
b. He is a busker.
c. He is a teacher.
3. What was the cause of Peem’s blindness?
a. He was born blind.
b. The oxygen given to him in the incubator ruined his sight.
c. The story does not say.
4. Who invited Peem to join a band?
a. Peem’s junior friend.
b. The organisers of the market in Muang Thong Thani
c. The Voice Thailand
5. How did Peem feel when he first played guitar with the band on the streets?
a. He felt hopeless.
b. He felt appreciative.
c. He felt nervous and awkward.
6. When does he play near the BTS at Victory Monument?
a. On some Saturdays.
b. Bi-monthly on Sundays.
c. On weekdays.
7. Where did Peem learn to play the guitar?
a. At Muang Thong Thani’s Sunday market.
b. At the School for the Blind.
c. On Bangkok’s streets.
8. Who offered the band big umbrellas to shelter them from the rain?
a. Passers-by.
b. Some stall holders in the market.
c. A junior friend.
Section 2
Read through the story again. Then, decide whether the following statements are true or false.
9. Blind musicians busking on the streets of Bangkok are more common now than they used to be.
………………..
10. Peem Narkkhwan is 28 years old.
………………..
11. Peem never feels low.
………………..
12. Peem accepts that he is different but he never gives up.
………………..
Section 3
Fill in the blanks in the following passage with the correct words from the choices given.
Peem makes mistakes occasionally, such as a wrong note in …..13….. guitar solo, or a forgotten line in his lyrics. …..14….., it never seems to deter him. The guitarist takes …..15….. wrong note with a smile and continues while laughing …..16….. his friends.
13.
a. her
b. their
c. his
14.
a. Although
b. However
c. Therefore
15.
a. both
b. all
c. each
16.
a. with
b. from
c. under
Section 4
Underline the grammatically correct words in each of the following sentences from the choices given.
17. In the past, you could often see blind musicians busking under/above/on the streets of Bangkok.
18. Peem admits that life can be difficult for a person which/whose/who is disabled.
19. Peem knows through his own experience what it is like to be different from the majority/major/main of people.
20. Being blind has no/not/none effect on Peem’s musical performance.
Section 5
Find words used in the story that are synonyms of the following words.
21. distinctive ……………
22. capability ……………
23. protect ……………
24. skillful ……………
Vocabulary
- incubator (n): a piece of equipment in a hospital which new babies are placed in when they are weak or born too early in order to help them survive
impair (v): to damage something
inferior (adj): not as good as somebody or something else
