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Read the following story from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.
It has become a tradition for Thai athletes to hold up a portrait of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej after a success. It is unclear who first did it. But the first major occasion on which it happened was when boxer Somluck Kamsing won the country’s first ever Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. And the practice has continued to this day.
ON THE BIGGEST STAGE
Other Thai boxers have followed Somluck’s example at major international events, including Olympic champions Wijarn Ponlid (2000), Manus Boonjumnong (2004) and Somjit Jongjohor (2008). Thai athletes in other sports have also followed suit.
“Before I fought in the Olympic final on August 4, 1996, I paid respect to the king’s portrait and asked him to protect me. I wanted to bring the gold medal back to Thailand for the king and the Thai people,” Somluck said in an interview.
Somluck found out that the king had watched the fight after one of the king’s aides made a call to the Thai team after his victory. When he returned to Thailand, the boxer was granted an audience with His Majesty.
“The year 1996 was an auspicious one. The king was celebrating 50 years on the throne. I was so proud and nervous before the audience. But when I finally met him, he was very warm and he talked to me like a father to his son. He told me that when he saw me hold his photo aloft, he thought he was in the ring and jumped for joy. When his servants laughed, he felt embarrassed and sat down.”
FOR KING AND COUNTRY
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Somjit had an amu-let with an image of King Bhumibol from when he was a monk. Somjit had suffered heartbreak in Athens four years earlier. In Beijing, he was determined to do his king and country proud. He felt that the amulet would bring him good fortune.
“The king is already holy. He was even holier in the monkhood,” Somjit said during the Games. Somjit was dominant throughout the 2008 Games. He won the final convincingly to bring home the gold medal. Following in Somluk’s footsteps, he proudly held up the king’s picture.
“I held the king’s portrait because I wanted the world to know that I was from Thailand and that our royal father is at the centre of every Thai person’s heart. Several people asked me who the person in the photo was. I was proud to tell them he was our king,” he said.
ROYAL TRIBUTE
Kiatisak Senamuang, former player and coach of the Thai national football team, said he always knelt and paid his respect to the king’s portrait in the dressing room before a match.
“We would bring a portrait of the king with us everywhere and hang it up in the dressing room. This reminded us that we were playing for the king and the country. Everybody wanted to fight for His Majesty,” he said.
Nualphan Lamsam, manager of the Thai wo-men’s national football team, said the squad alwaysbrought with them a portrait of King Bhumibol and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit.
“It boosted our morale. When we won, wewanted to hold up the photo to show the worldthat this was our king,” said Nualphan.
SECTION 1
Read through the story and answer the following multiple-choice questions.
1. Who was the first Thai athlete to hold up the late king’s portrait?
a. Somluck Kamsing.
b. Somjit Jongjohor.
c. It is unknown.
2. When were the Olympic Games in Athens held?
a. In 1996.
b. In 2004.
c. In 2008.
3. Who is Kiatisak Senamuang?
a. A professional boxer.
b. A former footballer.
c. The manager of the Thai women’s national football team.
4. What was significant about 1996?
a. It marked the late king’s 50th anniversary.
b. It was the year that the late king entered the monkhood.
c. It marked the first Olympic Games.
5. How did Somluk find out that the late king had seen his fight?
a. The king called him personally.
b. The king called his team.
c. The king’s representative called his team.
6. Which of the following statements is TRUE, according to the article?
a. Wijarn Ponlid won an Olympic gold medal.
b. Somluck Kamsing gave the king his gold medal.
c. Nualphan Lamsam played for the Thai national football team.
7. Which of the following statements is NOT true, according to the article?
a. Somluck Kamsing said the king talked to him like a son.
b. Kiatisak Senamuang said carrying a portrait of Their Majesties gave the team more confidence.
c. Somjit Jongjohor was given an audience with the king.
SECTION 2
Match each of the following words used in the story with the correct definitions from the choices given.
| 8. aloft | a. the position of being a king or queen |
| 9. throne | b. shy, awkward or ashamed, especially in a social situation |
| 10.embarrassed | c. high in the air |
| 11. heartbreak | d. a piece of jewellery that some people wear for luck |
| 12. amulet | e. a strong feeling of sadness |
| 13. proud | f. feeling pleased and satisfied about something that you own or have done, or are connected with |
SECTION 3
Read the following passage. Then, fill in the blanks with the correct words from the choices given.
The team carried a portrait of the king …..14….. they beat Ivory Coast …..15….. the 2015 Women’s World Cup. The team also …..16….. the song “Sadudee Maha Racha (Hail the Great King)” before and after the game. “I always tell ……17…… players to fight for the …..18….. people and the country …..19….. the king and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit,” Nualphan Lamsam said.
14.
a. where
b. who
c. when
15.
a. on
b. at
c. in
16.
a. sing
b. sang
c. sung
17.
a. mine
b. me
c. my
18.
a. Thai
b. Thailand
c. Thais
19.
a. so much as
b. as well as
c. as soon as
SECTION 4
Match each of the following words used in the story with the correct synonyms from the choices given: stare winner defeat unsure promising
20. champion
…………………………
21. look
…………………………
22. beat
…………………………
23. auspicious
…………………………
24. unclear
…………………………
Answers
Section 1
1. c.
2. b.
3. b.
4. a.
5. c.
6. a.
7. c.
Section 2
8. c.
9. a.
10. b.
11. e.
12. d.
13. f.
Section 3
14. c.
15. b.
16. b.
17. c.
18. a.
19. b.
Section 4
20. Winner.
21. Stare.
22. Defeat.
23. Promising.
24. Unsure.
SCORE
21-24: Excellent!
17-20: Good.
13-16: Fair.
12 or fewer: You'll do better next time!
