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Read the following story by Arusa Pisuthipan from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.
Marisa Ponpuak is one of this year’s recipients of L’Oreal Thailand’s For Women in Science fellowship. She was rewarded for her work in the development of new medicines for malaria and tuberculosis.
LABOUR OF LOVE
For Assistant Professor Dr Marisa Ponpuak, scientist and lecturer at the Department of Microbiology, Mahidol University, her workplace is like a second home.
“I used to spend 12 to 14 hours a day in the laboratory almost every day of the week. For me, it was normal. It was fun,” said the 39-year-old.
“Sometimes we’d carry out four or five experiments all at the same time. When you come up with new findings, you have a great sense of accomplishment. Then you’re ready to move on to the next puzzle.”
HEAL THE WORLD
This year, Marisa was chosen as one of the three recipients of L’Oreal Thailand’s long-established For Women in Science fellowship. Her research, the first of its kind in the world, focuses on developing drugs for malaria and tuberculosis — diseases that are endemic in tropical, developing countries such as Thailand.
The two other recipients are Associate Professor Napida Hinchiranan from the Department of Chemical Technology, Chulalongkorn University and Pussana Hirunsit from the National Nanotechnology Centre at the National Science and Technology Development Agency. Each will receive 250,000 baht.
SHE’S ALL THAT
Now in its 15th year, the For Women in Science fellowship recognises female scientists whose work contributes to improving the quality of life around the world.
To date, the programme has offered fellowships to more than 2,500 female scientists and researchers in 112 countries. In Thailand, the grant is awarded to a recipient in each of three categories — life science, material science and chemistry. Marisa’s research falls under the first category. She is now one of 61 Thai female scientists to receive a fellowship.
LIFE’S WORK
Marisa doesn’t conform to the stereotypical image of the nerdy scientist. She’s naturally warm and chatty and was able to talk about her research in an engaging manner.
The Lampang native has been passionate about science since childhood. From grade 10 all the way through to her doctoral degree, she was a scholarship student of the Development and Promotion of Science and Technology Talents Project under the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST).
After a year at Chiang Mai University, Marisa completed her bachelor degree in molecular biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States. She went on to do her doctorate in molecular cell biology at Washington University. Marisa returned to Thailand in 2010 and worked as a lecturer at the Department of Microbiology, Mahidol University. Since 2013, she has been assistant professor.
SECTION 1
Read through the story and answer the following multiple-choice questions.
1. Marisa received her grant in which category?
a. Life science.
b. Material science.
c. Chemistry.
2. Marisa completed her undergraduate degree at which university?
a. Chiang Mai University.
b. The University of Wisconsin-Madison.
c. Washington University.
3. How many have received a For Women in Science fellowship to date?
a. Three
b. 61
c. 2,500
4. Where is Marisa from originally?
a. Bangkok.
b. Chiang Mai.
c. Lampang.
5. How long has L’Oreal Thailand been running the For Women in Science programme?
a. 14 years.
b. 15 years.
c. 16 years.
6. Which of the following statements is TRUE, according to the article?
a. Marisa likes spending a lot of her time in the laboratory.
b. Marisa lives in the same place that she works.
c. Marisa finds her work stressful.
7. Which of the following statements is NOT true, according to the article?
a. Marisa helps develop new drugs to fight tropical diseases.
b. Marisa isn’t a stereotypical scientist.
c. Marisa and Napida Hinchiranan are colleagues.
SECTION 2
Match each of the following words used in the story with the correct definitions from the choices given.
| 8. stereotypical | a. to give somebody official thanks for something that they have done or achieved |
| 9. puzzle | b. regularly found in a particular place or among a particular group of people and difficult to get rid of |
| 10. recognise | c. boring and not fashionable |
| 11. nerdy | d. the successful completing of something |
| 12. endemic | e. based on a fixed idea or image that many people have of a particular type of person or thing, but which is often not true in reality |
| 13.accomplishment | f. something that is difficult to understand or explain |
SECTION 3
Read the following passage. Then, fill in the blanks with the correct words from the choices given.
Marisa lost her mother when she …..14….. young. Her father passed away two years ago. She has one younger sister who …..15….. as a nurse in Bangkok. This means that she has fewer family responsibilities when compared to her peers, many of whom are married or have parents to care …..16….. Marisa is able to spend most of her time …..17….. her students and the research which she hopes can …..18….. mankind. “…..19….. it’s not easy, it’s my life,” she said.
14.
a. is
b. were
c. was
15.
a. work
b. works
c. working
16.
a. with
b. of
c. for
17.
a. for
b. on
c. at
18.
a. benefit
b. beneficial
c. beneficially
19.
a. Although
b. Despite
c. But
Answers
Section 1
1. a.
2. b.
3. c.
4. c.
5. b.
6. a.
7. c.
Section 2
8. e.
9. f.
10. a.
11. c.
12. b.
13. d.
Section 3
14. c.
15. b.
16. c.
17. b.
18. a.
19. a.
Section 4
20. Verb.
21. Noun.
22. Adverb.
23. Adjective.
24. Adjective.
SCORE
21-24: Excellent!
17-20: Good.
13-16: Fair.
12 or fewer: You'll do better next time!
