Long gone by Gary Boyle. Photo courtesy of Rats Records

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Valentine Heath
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1 Bangkok Post Learning: Test Yourself Test Yourself is where you can improve your reading skills. Whether it s for tests like University Entrance Exams or IELTS and TOEFL, or even just for fun, these pages help you to read, understand and improve your English. Long gone by Gary Boyle. Photo courtesy of Rats Records Read the following story by Tatat Bunnag from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow. I still don t know how I really got here, says Phum Viphurit, a Thai born, New-Zealand-raised singer-songwriter. Here means international stardom. Phum, now on tour in the US and Europe, is struggling to explain why so many indie music lovers outside his homeland have fallen for his charms. ASIA AND BEYOND Maybe it s because of his groovy, catchy tunes in the pop-funk style, or his trademark bright smile that shows his braces. But whatever it is, Phum is considered one of the newest Asian superstars.

2 The singer has just returned from a successful Asia tour earlier this year with sold-out shows both in Hong Kong and South Korea where the crowd screamed his name and sang along to all his songs. The 22-year-old singer spoke to us while on his first European and US tour where he will be performing more than 20 shows across the two continents. One of the highlights will be at Tropicalia Festival 2018 in Long Beach, California, on November 3 and 4. Having grown up in a music-loving family, Phum started writing his own material at the age of 17. On returning to Thailand from New Zealand, he became a YouTuber where he uploaded his original and cover songs, which soon attracted the attention of local independent label Rats Records. The label released his first full-length English language album last year, called Manchild, which Phum composed, produced and arranged himself. But his international fame still hadn t arrived until the release of two new singles, Long Gone and Lover Boy, with the accompanying retro VHS-styled music videos getting more than 22 million views and counting. GOING VIRAL When I released Long Gone in June last year, the single didn t seem to do that well here, but somehow it went viral online and attracted more listeners outside Thailand, Phum said. Then more and more promoters from different countries started contacting my label and invited me to go perform over there. South Korea seems to be one of the places where people are embracing his music the most, and his concert in Hongdae in April sold out within three hours of tickets going on sale. I was really surprised that many people in Korea recognise me and ask to take photographs with me on the street, which rarely happens in Thailand. Maybe because the kind of music I play sits better with people s taste over there than here I m not sure. As for influences, Phum said, I listen to all kinds of music, old or new. I grew up listening to soul, disco and Motown from my mom s music collection, and then I discovered artists like Maroon 5 or Jason Mraz and Mac DeMarco as I got older, and all these influences and sounds just organically blended together in my head when I tried to write a song.

3 WORLDWIDE TRIP Phum s current long tour kicked off on October 6 in Poland, followed by Germany, England, France, Switzerland, Italy, Netherlands and a few more dates in the United States. Then it s Malaysia and Singapore before he returns home by mid-november. I always wanted to travel all around Europe and the US when I graduated, maybe like a backpacker or something, but this is even more than dreams come true because I will get to play music too, Phum said. My friends and family are also concerned about my health because of this hectic schedule, but now I look at myself as one of the lucky few that get to travel and work at the same time. And when opportunity comes, you know you better grab it. Music is definitely taking me everywhere. Vocabulary charm (n): a feature or quality that is pleasing or attractive continent (n): one of the large land masses of the earth such as Europe, Asia or Africa embrace (v): to accept an idea, a proposal, a set of beliefs, etc., especially when it is done with enthusiasm Section 1 Read through the story and answer the following questions. 1. How old is Phum?. 2. Where was he born?. 3. What was his debut album called?. 4. When was Long Gone released?. 5. Phum knows why he is popular in South Korea. True or false? Who does Phum prefer, Maroon 5 or Jason Mraz? a. Maroon 5. b. Jason Mraz. c. The story doesn t say.

4 7. In which country did Phum s current tour begin? a. The US. b. Poland. c. South Korea. 8. Who is worried about Phum s health? a. Phum. b. Phum s family and friends. c. Phum s record label. Section 2 Underline one grammatically incorrect word in each of the following sentences. Then, write down the grammatically correct word in the space given. 9. Phum will be shared the stage with some big music stars. 10. He is always try to listen to new music. 11. The song takes Phum out of his comfortable zone. 12. He asked me if I were interested in working with him. 13. It would be nice to play more shows if possibly. Section 3 Read the following passage. Then, fill in the blanks with the correct words from the choices given. To me, Manchild was like a kid writing his.14., he explains. It was full of emotion and stories about.15.. I also used to worry a lot.16. how to write songs.17. satisfy listeners and forgot about being.18. and having fun. So the new album should change all that. I plan to put out a few more singles before.19. official release early next year. 14. a. diary b. dairy c. daily 15. a. heart-broken b. heartache c. heart attack 16. a. on b. for c. about 17. a. to b. for c. but 18. a. them b. themselves c. myself 19. a. its b. it s c. it

5 Section 4 Write down the adjective forms of the following words used in the story in the space given. 20. music 21. fame 22. artist 23. influence Italy For the answers, find the story online at If you have any questions or feedback, please contact the Editor at garyb@bangkokpost.co.th

Here to stay by Gary Boyle.

Here to stay by Gary Boyle. Bangkok Post Learning: Test Yourself Test Yourself is where you can improve your reading skills. Whether it s for tests like University Entrance Exams or IELTS and TOEFL, or even just for fun, these pages