Reading Skill B1-B2

Read a travel guide about Bangkok to practise and improve your reading skills

Preparation task

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.

Multiple Choice

real or normal for a place, not specially for tourists

• noodles

• authentic

• alternative

Multiple Choice

dirty from traffic or chemicals

• polluted

• express

• a stand

Multiple Choice

another way to do something

• travel

• alternative

• authentic

Multiple Choice

a table where food or other things are sold in a market

• a stand

• grocery

• restaurant

Multiple Choice

a long, thin food made from flour, water and eggs

• noodles

• pasta

• tortilla

Reading text: A travel guide

Where to stay The Khao San Road was a famous traveller spot even before Leonardo di Caprio’s character in the film The Beach stayed there. But it’s noisy, not very pretty and not very Thai. For something more authentic, Phra Kanong offers an alternative place to stay, with its fantastic street markets where everyday Bangkok people eat, work and live. It’s not as convenient for the main tourist sites, but it has a Skytrain station so you can be at the Grand Palace in 20 minutes. How to get around Bangkok’s traffic can be a nightmare. Sure, you can easily take a taxi – if you want to spend hours stuck in traffic jams – but there are two much better ways to get around the city. To explore the temples and historical sites, catch an express boat river taxi or a longtail boat along the Chao Phraya river and the canals. For the modern part of the city, the Skytrain is a fast, cheap way to travel from the river to the shopping malls and nightlife of Sukhumvit, and the famous Chatuchak street market

Where to eat
The simple answer is: everywhere! Thai street food is among the best in the world, and for around $5 you can eat a filling and delicious meal. Some food stands have little plastic seats where you can sit and eat and they cook the same dish over and over, like fried chicken on rice or Pad Thai noodles. Head for Chinatown – Yaowarat Street – and choose whatever looks most interesting from the many excellent Chinese and Thai restaurants and food stands.
What to do
After you’ve seen the main sites like the Giant Buddha at the temple of Wat Pho and the spectacular Grand Palace, and shopped at Chatuchak market, check out the snake farm and watch the live snake show. You can even touch a snake yourself if you want to!

Fill in the Blanks

a place that you might see in the film The Beach

Fill in the Blanks

… a place where local Thai people go

Fill in the Blanks

an alternative route through the city

Fill in the Blanks

a place to go for shopping and bars

Fill in the Blanks

a place to go for food

Fill in the Blanks

an important sightseeing spot

Are the sentences true or false?

Multiple Choice

One night is enough time to see Bangkok

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Khao San Road is an authentic Thai area of the city

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Phra Kanong is further away from the main tourist sites than Khao San Road is.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The river boat taxis often get stuck in traffic too.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Taking the Skytrain is a faster way to see the city than going by taxi

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

You need to choose where to eat carefully, as not everywhere is good.

• True

• False