Reading Part

100 Students Escape Boarding House Fire

A boarding house for female university students in Bangkok’s Bangkapi district was burnt
down in a big fire, sending some 100 tenants to flee for their life, police said.
Five students were injured from inhaling smokers and no one was killed in the big fire
which engulfed the four-storeys building on Soi Ramkhamhaeng 57 on Saturday night. Some 20
fire engines took about four hours to control the blaze from spreading to other buildings, but
by that time the fire had apparently consumed the building.
Police said the fire started on the second floor and quickly spread to other floors as the
owner of the buildings had modified the building as a boarding house by installing wooden
walls to make many more rooms for tenants.
Most of the tenants are students of the Ramkhamhaeng University. Several tenants said
they fled by climbing to a nearby building from a rooftop before the fire reached the top.

(Source : Nation Junior , February 16-28, 2006)

Vocabulary
1. tenants (n) : people who rent rooms in a building
2. to flee (v) : to run away, escape
3. to inhale (v) : to draw, breathe or suck into the lungs
4. to engulf (v) : to swallow up, to surround
5. apparently(adv) : seemingly true
6. to modify (v) : to adapt, change purpose

1. How many students were injured in the boarding house fire?

a. one b. three c. five d. seven

2. On which night of the week did the blaze occur?

a. Thursday b. Friday c. Saturday d. Sunday
3. How tall was the building that was engulfed in the fire?
a. four storeys b. five storeys c. six storeys d. seven storeys

4. On which floor did the fire begin?

a. the first floor b. the second floor
c. the third floor d. the fourth floor

5. How did the tenants flee from the building?

a. By crying for help. b. By putting out the fire.
c. By climbing to a nearby building. d. By running against the fire.

Instructions: Read the following texts and choose the most appropriate answer.

1. Which is true according to the strips?

a. The man loves to smell pizza. b. The woman prefers cooking pizza.
c. They are going to eat out for dinner. d. They are waiting for dinner at home.

2. From the given comics, the woman thinks pizza is__________for her husband.
a. delicious b. cheap c. spicy d. easy

3. What may be the side effect of taking this medicine?

a. Sleepy b. Thirsty c. Hungry d. Moody

4. What should we consider before using this drug?

a. Drug dose b. Drugstore c. Prescription d. Law allowan
5. A person who wants to apply for this job should __________ .
a. have a new e-mail b. have master Degree in English
c. write a letter to show his interest d. be very good at both Thai and English

6. Where did they manage the cremation?

a. At a palace b. At a church c. At a temple d. At a town hall
7. From the given announcement, it can be implied that the guests are invited to
give__________to the host.
a. food b. money c. service d. a wreath

8. The main purpose of the given announcement is to ___________ .

a. declare the death of an important person
b. tell the guests how to show respect to a dead body
c. invite the guests to join Mr. Liam’s cremation rite
d. explain the guests how to participate the Royal Cremation

Directions: Read the news story and answer the questions.

OH, BABY
Taxi driver has lucky day
Even before taxi driver Saiyon Opas started his car, he felt sure it would be his lucky
day. After all, it was July 7, 2007, 7/7/07 on the calendar, and the license plate on his taxi is
Tor Yor 7777.
On that day, a healthy baby girl was born in the back of his taxi. Saiyon said that a
teenage couple flagged him down at about 4 a.m. on Soi Chang Wattana 10, asking him to take
them and a pregnant woman to a hospital. By the time they reached Soi Changwatana 6, he
heard a baby crying.
Saiyon said that he was glad the pregnant woman gave birth in his car – the first time
that’s happened in his seven years behind the wheel.
(Source : Student Weekly, July 16, 2007 : page 22)
Vocabulary
flag down (phrasal v.): to signal to the driver of a vehicle to stop by waving at them
9. The conclusion of this news report is___________ .
a. the taxi driver was very excited with his new baby
b. the license plate on Saiyon’s taxi is his lucky number
c. the taxi driver could take the passengers to the hospital in time
d. the woman gave birth safely in the taxi on the way to the hospital
10. Based on the situation, “flag ..........down” means ___________ .
a. to draw attention to others nearby
b. to signal to the driver of a vehicle to stop
c. to become tired, weaker or less enthusiastic
d. to show the support of the driver to the country

11. We can infer from this news that the taxi driver___________ .
a. believes in superstition
b. has bad luck for a long time
c. likes to work during the day
d. wants to have a birth in his car

1. What is the taxi driver’s name?

……………………………………………………………………………………………
2. When did this event take place?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
3. What is the license plate of taxi?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Where was the baby born?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
5. How did Saiyon feel when the pregnant woman gave birth in his car?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
1. Pour the oil in a medium-sized pan on the stove and set on medium or medium high.
2. Brown the doughnut for approximately 2 minutes on each side or until golden.
3. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until it makes a smooth batter.
4. Shape the dough strips like doughnuts by connecting the 2 sides together really well.
5. Roll the batter into 10-12 long, thick dough strips.
6. Place one doughnut in the pan gently when the oil is warm.
Source: www.wikihow.com

12. Which are the correct steps of making doughnuts?

a. 3-5-4-1-6-2
b. 1-6-3-2-4-5
c. 6-2-3-5-1-4
d. 4-1-3-6-5-2
 dvvvd

Nonfiction Reading
Chess
Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Refer to the text
to check your answers when appropriate.
Chess is called the game of kings. It has been around
for a long time. People have been playing it for over
500 years. Chess is based on an even older game from
India. The chess we play today is from Europe.
Chess is a two-player game. One player uses the white
White Chess Pieces
pieces. The other uses the
black pieces. Each piece moves in a special way. One piece is called the king. Each player has
one. The players take turns moving their pieces. If a player lands on a piece, he or she takes it.
The game ends when a player loses his or her king. There are a few more rules, but those are
the basics.
Some people think that chess is more than a game. They think that it makes the mind stronger.
Good chess players use their brains. They take their time. They think about what will happen
next. These skills are useful in life and in chess. Chess is kind of like a work out for the mind.
You don't always have lots of time to think when playing chess. There is a type of chess with
short time limits. It's called blitz chess. In blitz chess, each player gets ten minutes to use for
the whole game. Your clock runs during your turn. You hit the time clock after your move. This
stops your clock. It also starts the other player's clock. If you run out of time, you lose. Games
of blitz chess are fast paced.
Chess is not just for people. Computers have been playing chess since the 1970s. At first, they
did not play well. They made mistakes. As time went on they grew stronger. In 1997, a
computer beat the best player in the world for the first time. It was a computer called Deep
Blue. Deep Blue was big. It took up a whole room. By 2006 a cell phone could beat the best
players in the world. Chess sure has come a long way. Don't you think so?

1. What is the author's purpose in writing the second paragraph?

a. To explain the rules of chess b. To compare different types of games
c. To talk about game pieces d. To persuade people to play chess

2. Which is not a reason that chess is a good workout for the mind according to the text?
a. Good chess players think about what will happen next.
b. Good chess players take a lot of risks.
c. Good chess players take their time.
d. Good chess players use their brains.

3. How long have people been playing chess?

a. Over 100 years b. Over 500 years
c. Over 1000 years d. Over 5000 years
4. Where did the game that chess is based on come from?
a. Europe b. America
c. India d. All of these

5. Which best describes the main idea in the fourth paragraph?

a. This paragraph argues that players should think less.
b. This paragraph explains how blitz chess is played.
c. This paragraph explains time clocks work.
d. This paragraph describes many different ways to play chess.

6. How does a game of chess end according to the text?

a. One player takes all of the other player's pieces.
b. One player makes it to the end of the board.
c. One player becomes king.
d. One player loses his or her king.

7. Which happened first?

a. Computers did not play chess well. b. Deep Blue won an important game.
c. Cell phones got good at playing chess. d. Deep Blue took up a whole room.
8. How is blitz chess different from regular chess?
a. Each player has two kings. b. Players are blindfolded.
c. Players only have ten minutes to play. d. Players start from a random position.

9. If it's your turn in blitz chess, what happens when you hit the clock?
a. Both your clock and the other person's clock keep running.
b. The other person's clock stops running and yours starts.
c. Both clocks stop running.
d. Your clock stops running and the other person's clock begins.

10. When did a computer first beat a strong human player in chess?
a. 2006 b. 1997
c. 1970 d. 1976

Do you know how blueberries grow? They grow on bushes. Each blueberry is small and round.
Many blueberries can grow on one bush. At first, the blueberries are green. The green berries
are not ready to eat yet. They need a lot of sun and rain to help them become fat and sweet.
When the berries turn blue, they are ripe and ready to be picked.
Some farmers grow blueberries in big fields. The people who live nearby can earn money by
helping to pick the blueberries. Each one takes a pail out to the field and fills it with
blueberries. They work fast so that they can fill many pails. They want to earn as much money
as they can. When they are done picking, their fingers are blue from the juice of the berries!
After the blueberries are picked, they are put into boxes and sent to stores. People buy the
blueberries and take them home to eat. Some people like to wash the berries and eat them
one by one. Other people like to cook with blueberries. They make blueberry muffins and
pancakes.
No matter how you eat them, blueberries taste great!

1. The people who live nearby can earn money by helping to pick the blueberries.
What does earn mean?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. What color are the blueberries BEFORE they are ready to be picked?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Where do the blueberry pickers work?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. What happens to blueberries AFTER they are picked?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. They need a lot of sun and rain to help them become fat and sweet. What does sweet
mean?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. What could be another title for this story?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

TV
Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Refer to the text
to check your answers when appropriate.

Televisions show sounds and pictures. They
get data from cables, discs, or over-the-air
signals. They turn this data into sounds and
images. People watch news and shows on
them. You probably call them TVs.
They wanted TVs. But World War II was going on during
this time. Factories were busy making guns and bombs.
When the war was over, TV spread across the country.
John Baird made the first TV in 1925. It had
one color. It could only show 30 lines. This
was just enough room for a face. It didn't work
well, but it was a start.
The first TV station was set up in 1928. It was
in New York. Few people had TVs. The
broadcasts were not meant to be watched.
They showed a Felix the Cat doll for two hours
a day. The doll spun around on a record
player. They were experimenting. It took many
years to get it right.
By the end of the 1930s, TVs were working
well. America got its first taste at the 1939
World's Fair. This was one of the biggest events
ever. There were 200 small, black and white
TVs set up around the fair. The U.S. President
gave a speech over the TVs. The TVs were only
five inches big but the people loved it.
1. When did color TVs come out?
a. 1925
c. 1939
2. Which was not true about the first TV?
a. It could only show one color. b. It only had 30 lines.
c. It did not have sound. d. It did not work well.
By 1948 there were 4 big TV networks in America.
They aired their shows from 8 to 11 each night.
Local shows were aired at other times. Most of
the time, nothing was
shown at all. TV was not
"always on" like it is now.
Color TVs came out in
1953. They cost too much money for most. Also,
shows were aired in black and white. By 1965,
color TVs were cheaper. TV stations started airing
shows in color. People had to switch if they
wanted to see the shows.
Now most TVs are high-def. This means that they
have many lines on them. This makes the image
clear. TVs have come a long way since Baird's 30
line set. High-def TVs have 1080 lines. There are
state of the art sets called 4K TVs. These TVs
have 3,840 lines. Some people watch TV in 3D. I
wonder what they will come up with next.
Smell-o-vision anyone?
b. 1953
d. 1965
3. When did networks start showing programs in color?
a. 1948 b. 1953 c. 1965 d. 1939

4. Why did the first TV station only show Felix the Cat for two hours a day?
a. They were running tests. b. Felix the Cat was really popular.
c. Felix the Cat had been a big radio star. d. Felix the Cat was the only show that
they had.

5. Which of these events slowed the spread of TVs?

a. The World's Fair of 1939 b. The Civil War
c. The election of the U.S. President. d. World War II

6. What is the author's main purpose in writing this?

a. He is trying to explain how a TV works. b. He is telling readers how TVs became
popular.
c. He is describing the history of the TV. d. He is trying to get people to watch more TV.

7. Why did many families switch to color TVs in 1965?

a. Color TVs cost a lot of money. b. Many shows were only shown in color.
c. Color TVs came out in 1965. d. World War II ended and troops returned
home.

8. Why was 1939 an important year for TV?

a. Many Americans were introduced to TV. b. The first color TV was released.
c. The first TV station began broadcasting. d. John Baird created the first TV.

9. How many lines does a 4K TV have?

a. 30 b. 1,080
c. 4,000 d. 3,840

10. Which happened first?

a. The 1939 World's Fair b. The release of high-def TVs
c. The end of World War II d. The release of color TVs
Why would watching TV have been boring in 1928?

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Why did the 5 inch black-and-white TVs at the World's Fair impress people?

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Why would it have been a bad idea to buy a color TV when they first were released?

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