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.
In this digital age, YouTube measures success as penning a hit that has more than 100 million views. Thai songwriter Panoth Khunprasert has managed to do that, not just once but three times.
The 27-year-old songwriter, guitarist and keyboard player of pop group Getsunova recalled that it wasn’t easy for the band until they released their hit “Klai Khae Nai Khue Klai” (How Far Is Near?)" in 2012.
The group is comprised of Panoth together with singer Prakarn Raiva, guitarist Natee Osathanugrah and drummer Komkadech Sangwattanaroj. Getsunova started in 2007.
“After six unsuccessful singles, we felt discouraged,” admitted Panoth, who writes both the lyrics and melodies for his band's songs. “We gave all we had for "How Far Is Near?" to give ourselves one final try. We agreed to break up the band if this single wasn't a hit.”
"How Far Is Near?" became the first Thai song to gain more than 100 million views on YouTube. Earlier this year, it became the most played Thai song, achieving more 200 million views three years after its release.
Since the release of that song, Getsunova has continued to create hit after hit, including the 2013 blockbuster “Kham Tham Seung Rai Khon Tob (A Question with No One to Answer)" and “Yoo Trong Nee Naan Kwa Nee (Stay Here Longer)" in 2014.
“Initially, when we formed our band, we just wanted to perform on stage and have at least one song that the audience could sing along to,” Panoth said. “Looking back, during our early years, I wasn’t aware of the importance of lyrics. I focused more on the musical arrangements."
Panoth went on to say that writing a hit is a matter of communication, connecting with the listener and expressing what’s already in their heart and mind.
"We're making music for our fans, not just to please ourselves,” Panoth said.
Panoth believes that there’s no such thing as lasting success.
“I like to push myself further and always tell myself to work harder and make it better every time I’m doing something," he said. "Standing still is like moving backwards.”
Exercises
Section 1
Read the story and answer the following multiple-choice questions.
1. How old is Panoth?
a. 25 years old.
b. 27 years old.
c. 29 years old.
2. Who is Getsunova’s guitarist?
a. Panoth.
b. Natee.
c. Komkadech.
3. How many members does the band Getsunova have?
a. Three.
b. Five.
c. Four.
4. How many unsuccessful singles did Getsunova release before they had a hit?
a. Six.
b. Eight.
c. 10.
5. When was "How Far Is Near?" released?
a. In 2010.
b. In 2012.
c. In 2014.
6. What is Prakarn’s role in Getsunova?
a. He is the band’s songwriter, guitarist and keyboard player.
b. He is the band’s singer.
c. He is the band’s drummer.
7. How many views on YouTube has "How Far Is Near?" received so far, according to the story?
a. 1 million views.
b. About 100 million views.
c. More than 200 million views.
Section 2
Specify whether each of the following words is used in the story as a noun, adjective, verb or adverb.
8. unsuccessful
……………
9. please
……………
10. backwards
……………
11. digital
……………
12. songwriter
……………
Section 3
Read each of the following sentences and underline the grammatically correct words in each from the choices given.
13. The musicians learned by/from/for their mistakes.
14. We have to be aware of/with/through the listeners’ feedback.
15. The group agreed with/to/on break up if they did not succeed.
Section 4
Find words used in the story that are antonyms of the following words.
16. stopped …………..
17. first ………….
18. failure …………..
19. forwards …………..
Section 5
Fill in the blanks in the following passage with the correct words from the choices given.
Panoth found that …..20….. made him become a better songwriter. Modern Thai literature and short stories …..21….. a source of …..22….. from which he made notes of all the contemporary …..23….. choices that …..24….. grab the attention of readers.
20.
a. reader
b. reading
c. reads
21.
a. was
b. were
c. is
22.
a. inspired
b. inspirational
c. inspiration
23.
a. words
b. word
c. wordy
24.
a. naturally
b. nature
c. natural
Vocabulary
- discouraged (adj): feeling less confident or enthusiastic about doing something
initially (adv): at the beginning
