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Easy English News

May 14, 2008

The news here is the same that you will find in the Bangkok Post except that it is much easier. I've included some of the vocabulary of the original stores, so you can learn several new words every day. Notice that you can click on the headphone symbol to hear the text. You can also download the soundfile and play it back on your mp3 player.

Less than impressive

Players from the parliamentary opposition walk off the field shortly before half-time during a friendly soccer match against the government at the Army Stadium yesterday. They were upset by the government side’s decision to send on Bangkok MP Karun Hosakul. SOMCHAI POOMLARD

Football matches between the government and opposition are usually friendly, light-hearted events. They give the more athletic politicians a chance to show off their skills and, since the matches are televised, they give the public a chance to laugh at the rather clumsy football that is on display.

Yesterday’s match started out well enough, with the government side having little difficultly breaking through the defence of a team made up of opposition Democrats and senators. The government team, made up largely of PPP MPs, quickly scored four goals in the first half.

The match became tense, however, as soon as Bangkok PPP MP Karun Hosakul came onto the field. He, of course, is the man who allegedly attacked Democrat MP Somkiat Pongpaibul on April 2. The Democrats promptly walked off in protest.

The ill-feeling continued in the second half after the Democrats refused to play on unless the government replaced Mr Karun with another player.

The government team finally had to send on its substitutes to join the opposing team, while most of the Democrat players sat in the grandstand or left the stadium. The final score was 9-4 in favour of the government MPs.

‘‘I don’t understand why they have to mix politics with sports,’’ complained Mr Karun of the Democrats.

The Democrats, on the other hand, claimed Mr Karun made impolite remarks to them in the dressing room before and after the match.

It is safe to say that those watching the match live on the state-run National Broadcasting Services of Thailand were unimpressed with what they saw.

impressive – something to be admired because it is very good, large, or shows great skill
upset – very angry, sad or worried about something
light-hearted – funny and not intended to be serious
clumsy – not done in a careful, skilful, smooth or graceful way
on display – being shown
defence – the players on a team who try to prevent their opponents from scoring
tense – making you feel nervous and not relaxed
allegedly – said to have done something wrong, although this has not yet been proved
promptly – immediately; right away
in protest – because of a strong disagreement
substitutes – players who replace other players during a game
grandstand – a large structure with rows of seats from which people watch sports events
remarks – things said
unimpressed – feeling that something or someone is not very good or has no special qualities

Posted by Terry Fredrickson at 08:32 AM

May 13, 2008

Afternoon chaos

At about 1.28pm yesterday afternoon, workers in tall office buildings in the Sathorn and Silom areas of Bangkok felt their buildings begin to sway and vibrate. So they did what any normal person might do in such a situation, they ran outside. Within minutes there were thousands of people on the streets below.

It was, as they suspected, an earthquake, but fortunately for Bangkokians its epicentre was several thousand kilometers away in southwest China. There the people were not so lucky. More than 8,000 were killed as the powerful tremor flattened schools, factories and homes.

The quake, with a magnitude of 7.8, struck close to densely-populated areas of Sichuan province in what Premier Wen Jiabao called a ‘‘major disaster’’.

China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported 8,533 confirmed dead in Sichuan province alone, but there were fears the toll will rise far higher with others killed in neighbouring regions and reports of thousands buried under debris.

An estimated 3,000 to 5,000 people were reportedly killed in just one county of Sichuan province. A further 10,000 people were injured there, where officials said 80% of buildings had collapsed.

The quake was felt in Beijing and other areas of China, but an Olympics spokesman said that none of the 31 venues for the Beijing Olympics in the capital and other host cities had been damaged.

chaos – a situation in which everything is confused and in a mess ความสับสน
sway – to move or swing gently from side to side แกว่ง ไหว
vibrate – to shake very quickly with small movements สั่นสะเทือน
suspected – thought to be, but not certain สงสัย
earthquake – a sudden shaking movement of the ground แผ่นดินไหว
epicenter – the area of land directly over the centre of an earthquake ศูนย์กลางแผ่นดินไหว
tremor – an earthquake แผ่นดินไหว
magnitude – the strength of an earthquake, measured with numbers from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most powerful ความรุนแรงของแผ่นดินไหว
struck – hit เกิดขึ้น
densely-populated – having a lot of people living there ที่มีประชากรอาศัยอยู่หนาแน่น
disaster – something very bad that happens and causes a lot of damage or kills a lot of people ความหายนะ
(death) toll – the number of people killed ยอด (ผู้เสียชีวิต)
buried – covered with something ฝัง
debris – the broken pieces that are left when something large has been destroyed เศษอิฐ ซากปรักหักพัง
estimated – said to be, based on available information ประมาณการ
injured – hurt บาดเจ็บ
collapsed – fallen down พัง ถล่ม
venues – places where events or activities happen สถานที่จัดงาน
host cities – cities which arrange and hold events, in this case, Olympic competitions ประเทศเจ้าบ้าน

Posted by Terry Fredrickson at 08:16 AM

May 12, 2008

A ghost on the loose

Pitsamai Rachsang prepares her straw doll outside her house in Ban Don Hun in Khon Kaen province.

Villagers across much of the northeastern region of Thailand are convinced that a ghost, or phee, is taking the lives of young men.

The village where the rumour apparently started is Ban Don Hun in Khon Kaen province. There, the first boy to die was aged 18. One night, while returning from a party to celebrate the completion of his final year of high school (M6), he appeared to have swerved on his motorcycle on a straight stretch of a lonely dirt road for no reason, had an accident and died.

The villagers now believe the phee jumped out, scaring him so that he would have the accident.

Only a day later another young man died when his pickup rolled over for no apparent reason near the village on a straight dirt road. The rumour gathered speed as it was believed the phee had again jumped out from nowhere to cause the accident.

Then within the week the third man, aged 23, went to bed as usual but did not wake up. He was reportedly fit and healthy.

As the story spread, it took on various forms, but in each case, villagers believe that the phee will continue to take the lives of young men unless they take defensive measures.

In many cases, this means putting a small straw doll on the front gate or fence as a decoy. Most have a note on them saying there are no young men in the house. In other cases, mothers are painting the fingernails of their sons to fool the phee into thinking that they are women not men.

on the loose – free and not under anyone’s control เป็นอิสระ
straw – the yellow stems of dried crops (see photo) ฟาง
taking the lives – killing ฆ่า
rumour – information or stories that may or may not be true ข่าวลือ
apparently – seeming to be true, but not certain ดูเหมือนว่า เป็นที่เล่าว่า
swerved – suddenly changed direction, usually in order to avoid someone or something หักเลี้ยวกระทันหัน
stretch – an area of land or water บริเวณ หรือพื้น
scaring – frightening; causing to be afraid น่ากลัว
spread – to gradually affect or cover a larger area
forms แพร่กระจาย
defensive measures – actions to protect someone or something มาตรการ หรือวิธีป้องกัน
decoy – a person or thing that you use to trick someone into going somewhere or doing something, in this case, to go away from the area เหยื่อล่อ
fingernails – the hard smooth part that cover the ends of your fingers จมูกเล็บ

Posted by Terry Fredrickson at 08:26 AM

May 09, 2008

First day blurs

A traffic policeman uses a camera to take pictures of motorists using their mobile phones while driving at the Lak Si intersection yesterday. SAROT MEKSOPHAWANNAKUL

Yesterday, Bangkok police stopped 115 motorists for using mobile phones without the required hands-free devices in violation of the new ban. You will recall from yesterday’s report that there is a grace period until May 20, so they probably only received a warning.

Interestingly, most were caught at red lights. There is a reason for that. Police are using digital video and still cameras to catch violators and they are finding it very difficult to get clear shots of motorists in moving vehicles.

Pol Lt-Col Pitipong Butpiam, deputy traffic superintendent of Chokchai police station, said that even with 50 cameras, his staff could not take any clear still photos of drivers violating the ban because most vehicles were running at high speeds while the drivers were chatting on the phone.

Traffic police at the Klong Toey intersection near the Bangkok Post offices had a bit more success. They spotted the driver of a six-wheeled truck talking on his mobile phone without using a hands-free device on footage from a closed-circuit camera. He will get a warning letter and a copy of his picture from the footage.

Unless the photo-taking process is automated, however, it would appear traffic police are going to be spending a huge amount of time trying to spot and then photograph mobile phone ban violators. You have to wonder how long that will last.

Check out mainly for fun for another reason police may have difficult using cameras to catch traffic violators.

blur – something that is not clear to look at ที่ไม่ชัดเจน ภาพลางๆ
intersection – a place where roads cross สี่แยก
hands-free device – a piece of equipment that allows someone to talk on a phone without using their hands หูฟัง หรือสมอลทอล์ค
violation – an action that is against a law or rule การละเมิด หรือฝ่าฝืนกฎหมาย
ban – an official statement ordering people not to do something ห้าม
recall – remember จำได้ นึกได้
grace period – a period of time during which people who do something wrong are not punished ช่วงเวลาผ่อนผัน
still – not moving นิ่ง
still camera – a camera that takes ordinary photographs, i.e., not video กล้องถ่ายภาพนิ่ง
spotted – noticed; saw สังเกต เห็น
footage – film of a particular subject or event ภาพ หนังประกอบเหตุการณ์
automated – using machines or done by machines, instead of people อัตโนมัติ
appear – to seem ดูเหมือน ราวกับ

Posted by Terry Fredrickson at 08:47 AM

May 08, 2008

Hands-on driving

A woman takes a chance with her health and the law on Sukhumvit road. A ban on mobile phone use comes into force today for drivers of all kinds of vehicles. SOMCHAI POOMLARD

Starting today it is illegal to use a mobile phone while driving a vehicle on a road, unless you use a hands-free device. Police say there is a short grace period, however, so if you get caught today, you will probably just get a warning.

From May 20 onwards, offenders will be fined 400 to 1,000 baht. That doesn’t sound like much, but drivers who break the phone ban a second time will have their licence suspended. Each offence also carries with it 10 penalty points. Sixty points normally results in the suspension of a driver’s licence.

There’s more: repeat offenders will be told to attend a three-hour driving safety course and they will be required to pass an exam to get their licence back.

Police have been told to take pictures of drivers who flout the ban, to serve as evidence.

Some people believe the penalties should be much harsher.

‘‘These penalties are still too light,’’ company employee Itipol Kanjanarat, said.

He demanded stronger action after he was nearly involved in a collision with a truck driver who was talking on his mobile phone.

The driver was so preoccupied on the phone that he could not decide whether to go straight or make a turn, he said.

Wait a minute. Won’t that still be a problem with hands-free devices?

ban – to officially not allow something ห้าม
illegal – against the law ผิดกฎหมาย
device – a piece of equipment or machine that does a particular thing เครื่องมือ อุปกรณ์
grace period – a period of time during which people who do something wrong are not punished ช่วงเวลาผ่อนผัน
offenders – people who commit a crime or break a rule ผู้กระทำผิด ผู้ฝ่าฝืนกฎหมาย
fined – required to pay a sum of money as a punishment for breaking a law or rule ถูกปรับ
suspended – officially stopped from being used for a period of time ถูกระงับ ถูกยึดชั่วคราว
repeat offenders – people who break the same law or rule more than once ผู้ที่กระทำผิดซ้ำสอง
flout – to deliberately refuse to obey a rule or custom ตั้งใจ จงใจ มีเจตนา ละเมิด ฝ่าฝืนกฎหมาย
evidence – facts, statements or objects that help to prove whether or not someone has committed a crime หลักฐาน
harsher – stronger; more severe or serious รุนแรง เข้มงวดขึ้น
collision – an accident in which a person or vehicle that is moving crashes into something การชน การปะทะ
preoccupied – thinking about something so much that you do not notice other things or cannot think about other things ที่มีใจหมกมุ่น หรือมีความใส่ใจในเรื่องอื่นจึงทำให้ทำอีกสิ่งหนึ่งไม่ได้

Posted by Terry Fredrickson at 08:59 AM


Words in the News General News Business, Economics, and Technology News Business Words in the News Teaching with the Bangkok Post Feature Focus From the Weeklies Mainly for Fun Hey kids! Weekend Practice Lessons on H.M.the King 60 years ago World Cup English About Site General suggestions for teachers Building your vocabulary Suggestions for learners Suggestions for parents Who is Acharn Terry? Who is Acharn Jon?	Easy English News May 14, 2008 The news here is the same that you will find in the Bangkok Post except that it is much easier. I've included some of the vocabulary of the original stores, so you can learn several new words every day. Notice that you can click on the headphone symbol to hear the text. You can also download the soundfile and play it back on your mp3 player. Less than impressive Players from the parliamentary opposition walk off the field shortly before half-time during a friendly soccer match against the government at the Army Stadium yesterday. They were upset by the government side’s decision to send on Bangkok MP Karun Hosakul. SOMCHAI POOMLARD Football matches between the government and opposition are usually friendly, light-hearted events. They give the more athletic politicians a chance to show off their skills and, since the matches are televised, they give the public a chance to laugh at the rather clumsy football that is on display. Yesterday’s match started out well enough, with the government side having little difficultly breaking through the defence of a team made up of opposition Democrats and senators. The government team, made up largely of PPP MPs, quickly scored four goals in the first half. The match became tense, however, as soon as Bangkok PPP MP Karun Hosakul came onto the field. He, of course, is the man who allegedly attacked Democrat MP Somkiat Pongpaibul on April 2. The Democrats promptly walked off in protest. The ill-feeling continued in the second half after the Democrats refused to play on unless the government replaced Mr Karun with another player. The government team finally had to send on its substitutes to join the opposing team, while most of the Democrat players sat in the grandstand or left the stadium. The final score was 9-4 in favour of the government MPs. ‘‘I don’t understand why they have to mix politics with sports,’’ complained Mr Karun of the Democrats. The Democrats, on the other hand, claimed Mr Karun made impolite remarks to them in the dressing room before and after the match. It is safe to say that those watching the match live on the state-run National Broadcasting Services of Thailand were unimpressed with what they saw. impressive – something to be admired because it is very good, large, or shows great skill upset – very angry, sad or worried about something light-hearted – funny and not intended to be serious clumsy – not done in a careful, skilful, smooth or graceful way on display – being shown defence – the players on a team who try to prevent their opponents from scoring tense – making you feel nervous and not relaxed allegedly – said to have done something wrong, although this has not yet been proved promptly – immediately; right away in protest – because of a strong disagreement substitutes – players who replace other players during a game grandstand – a large structure with rows of seats from which people watch sports events remarks – things said unimpressed – feeling that something or someone is not very good or has no special qualities Posted by Terry Fredrickson at 08:32 AM May 13, 2008 Afternoon chaos At about 1.28pm yesterday afternoon, workers in tall office buildings in the Sathorn and Silom areas of Bangkok felt their buildings begin to sway and vibrate. So they did what any normal person might do in such a situation, they ran outside. Within minutes there were thousands of people on the streets below. It was, as they suspected, an earthquake, but fortunately for Bangkokians its epicentre was several thousand kilometers away in southwest China. There the people were not so lucky. More than 8,000 were killed as the powerful tremor flattened schools, factories and homes. The quake, with a magnitude of 7.8, struck close to densely-populated areas of Sichuan province in what Premier Wen Jiabao called a ‘‘major disaster’’. China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported 8,533 confirmed dead in Sichuan province alone, but there were fears the toll will rise far higher with others killed in neighbouring regions and reports of thousands buried under debris. An estimated 3,000 to 5,000 people were reportedly killed in just one county of Sichuan province. A further 10,000 people were injured there, where officials said 80% of buildings had collapsed. The quake was felt in Beijing and other areas of China, but an Olympics spokesman said that none of the 31 venues for the Beijing Olympics in the capital and other host cities had been damaged. chaos – a situation in which everything is confused and in a mess ความสับสน sway – to move or swing gently from side to side แกว่ง ไหว vibrate – to shake very quickly with small movements สั่นสะเทือน suspected – thought to be, but not certain สงสัย earthquake – a sudden shaking movement of the ground แผ่นดินไหว epicenter – the area of land directly over the centre of an earthquake ศูนย์กลางแผ่นดินไหว tremor – an earthquake แผ่นดินไหว magnitude – the strength of an earthquake, measured with numbers from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most powerful ความรุนแรงของแผ่นดินไหว struck – hit เกิดขึ้น densely-populated – having a lot of people living there ที่มีประชากรอาศัยอยู่หนาแน่น disaster – something very bad that happens and causes a lot of damage or kills a lot of people ความหายนะ (death) toll – the number of people killed ยอด (ผู้เสียชีวิต) buried – covered with something ฝัง debris – the broken pieces that are left when something large has been destroyed เศษอิฐ ซากปรักหักพัง estimated – said to be, based on available information ประมาณการ injured – hurt บาดเจ็บ collapsed – fallen down พัง ถล่ม venues – places where events or activities happen สถานที่จัดงาน host cities – cities which arrange and hold events, in this case, Olympic competitions ประเทศเจ้าบ้าน Posted by Terry Fredrickson at 08:16 AM May 12, 2008 A ghost on the loose Pitsamai Rachsang prepares her straw doll outside her house in Ban Don Hun in Khon Kaen province. Villagers across much of the northeastern region of Thailand are convinced that a ghost, or phee, is taking the lives of young men. The village where the rumour apparently started is Ban Don Hun in Khon Kaen province. There, the first boy to die was aged 18. One night, while returning from a party to celebrate the completion of his final year of high school (M6), he appeared to have swerved on his motorcycle on a straight stretch of a lonely dirt road for no reason, had an accident and died. The villagers now believe the phee jumped out, scaring him so that he would have the accident. Only a day later another young man died when his pickup rolled over for no apparent reason near the village on a straight dirt road. The rumour gathered speed as it was believed the phee had again jumped out from nowhere to cause the accident. Then within the week the third man, aged 23, went to bed as usual but did not wake up. He was reportedly fit and healthy. As the story spread, it took on various forms, but in each case, villagers believe that the phee will continue to take the lives of young men unless they take defensive measures. In many cases, this means putting a small straw doll on the front gate or fence as a decoy. Most have a note on them saying there are no young men in the house. In other cases, mothers are painting the fingernails of their sons to fool the phee into thinking that they are women not men. on the loose – free and not under anyone’s control เป็นอิสระ straw – the yellow stems of dried crops (see photo) ฟาง taking the lives – killing ฆ่า rumour – information or stories that may or may not be true ข่าวลือ apparently – seeming to be true, but not certain ดูเหมือนว่า เป็นที่เล่าว่า swerved – suddenly changed direction, usually in order to avoid someone or something หักเลี้ยวกระทันหัน stretch – an area of land or water บริเวณ หรือพื้น scaring – frightening; causing to be afraid น่ากลัว spread – to gradually affect or cover a larger area forms แพร่กระจาย defensive measures – actions to protect someone or something มาตรการ หรือวิธีป้องกัน decoy – a person or thing that you use to trick someone into going somewhere or doing something, in this case, to go away from the area เหยื่อล่อ fingernails – the hard smooth part that cover the ends of your fingers จมูกเล็บ Posted by Terry Fredrickson at 08:26 AM May 09, 2008 First day blurs A traffic policeman uses a camera to take pictures of motorists using their mobile phones while driving at the Lak Si intersection yesterday. SAROT MEKSOPHAWANNAKUL Yesterday, Bangkok police stopped 115 motorists for using mobile phones without the required hands-free devices in violation of the new ban. You will recall from yesterday’s report that there is a grace period until May 20, so they probably only received a warning. Interestingly, most were caught at red lights. There is a reason for that. Police are using digital video and still cameras to catch violators and they are finding it very difficult to get clear shots of motorists in moving vehicles. Pol Lt-Col Pitipong Butpiam, deputy traffic superintendent of Chokchai police station, said that even with 50 cameras, his staff could not take any clear still photos of drivers violating the ban because most vehicles were running at high speeds while the drivers were chatting on the phone. Traffic police at the Klong Toey intersection near the Bangkok Post offices had a bit more success. They spotted the driver of a six-wheeled truck talking on his mobile phone without using a hands-free device on footage from a closed-circuit camera. He will get a warning letter and a copy of his picture from the footage. Unless the photo-taking process is automated, however, it would appear traffic police are going to be spending a huge amount of time trying to spot and then photograph mobile phone ban violators. You have to wonder how long that will last. Check out mainly for fun for another reason police may have difficult using cameras to catch traffic violators. blur – something that is not clear to look at ที่ไม่ชัดเจน ภาพลางๆ intersection – a place where roads cross สี่แยก hands-free device – a piece of equipment that allows someone to talk on a phone without using their hands หูฟัง หรือสมอลทอล์ค violation – an action that is against a law or rule การละเมิด หรือฝ่าฝืนกฎหมาย ban – an official statement ordering people not to do something ห้าม recall – remember จำได้ นึกได้ grace period – a period of time during which people who do something wrong are not punished ช่วงเวลาผ่อนผัน still – not moving นิ่ง still camera – a camera that takes ordinary photographs, i.e., not video กล้องถ่ายภาพนิ่ง spotted – noticed; saw สังเกต เห็น footage – film of a particular subject or event ภาพ หนังประกอบเหตุการณ์ automated – using machines or done by machines, instead of people อัตโนมัติ appear – to seem ดูเหมือน ราวกับ Posted by Terry Fredrickson at 08:47 AM May 08, 2008 Hands-on driving A woman takes a chance with her health and the law on Sukhumvit road. A ban on mobile phone use comes into force today for drivers of all kinds of vehicles. SOMCHAI POOMLARD Starting today it is illegal to use a mobile phone while driving a vehicle on a road, unless you use a hands-free device. Police say there is a short grace period, however, so if you get caught today, you will probably just get a warning. From May 20 onwards, offenders will be fined 400 to 1,000 baht. That doesn’t sound like much, but drivers who break the phone ban a second time will have their licence suspended. Each offence also carries with it 10 penalty points. Sixty points normally results in the suspension of a driver’s licence. There’s more: repeat offenders will be told to attend a three-hour driving safety course and they will be required to pass an exam to get their licence back. Police have been told to take pictures of drivers who flout the ban, to serve as evidence. Some people believe the penalties should be much harsher. ‘‘These penalties are still too light,’’ company employee Itipol Kanjanarat, said. He demanded stronger action after he was nearly involved in a collision with a truck driver who was talking on his mobile phone. The driver was so preoccupied on the phone that he could not decide whether to go straight or make a turn, he said. Wait a minute. Won’t that still be a problem with hands-free devices? ban – to officially not allow something ห้าม illegal – against the law ผิดกฎหมาย device – a piece of equipment or machine that does a particular thing เครื่องมือ อุปกรณ์ grace period – a period of time during which people who do something wrong are not punished ช่วงเวลาผ่อนผัน offenders – people who commit a crime or break a rule ผู้กระทำผิด ผู้ฝ่าฝืนกฎหมาย fined – required to pay a sum of money as a punishment for breaking a law or rule ถูกปรับ suspended – officially stopped from being used for a period of time ถูกระงับ ถูกยึดชั่วคราว repeat offenders – people who break the same law or rule more than once ผู้ที่กระทำผิดซ้ำสอง flout – to deliberately refuse to obey a rule or custom ตั้งใจ จงใจ มีเจตนา ละเมิด ฝ่าฝืนกฎหมาย evidence – facts, statements or objects that help to prove whether or not someone has committed a crime หลักฐาน harsher – stronger; more severe or serious รุนแรง เข้มงวดขึ้น collision – an accident in which a person or vehicle that is moving crashes into something การชน การปะทะ preoccupied – thinking about something so much that you do not notice other things or cannot think about other things ที่มีใจหมกมุ่น หรือมีความใส่ใจในเรื่องอื่นจึงทำให้ทำอีกสิ่งหนึ่งไม่ได้ Posted by Terry Fredrickson at 08:59 AM
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