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Read the following story by Dhirachat Sittsan from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.

Arob Rueangsung rediscovers and preserves the traditional patterns of Na Muen Si woven cloth in Trang province.

JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY

Arob Rueangsung, 59, always has a smile on her face when she welcomes visitors to Na Muen Si Village in Trang.

Two decades ago, Arob led a group of housewives from this southern province to search for the origins of long-forgotten woven cloth patterns, and soon a revival of the cloth took off. Ban Na Muen Si is now regarded as a role model for cultural preservation. The villagers managed to bring back the community’s identity through more than 30 unique Na Muen Si patterns. The work also united the villagers and made them proud of their local wisdom.

“I am very glad that visitors come from far and wide to see and experience our handwoven cloth. It shows that our work is second to none,” said Arob, president of Na Muen Si Woven Cloth Community Enterprise.

CULTURAL INHERITANCE

Na Muen Si Village is located in Muang district, about a 25-minute drive from Trang Airport. A quiet and laid-back community, the majority of villagers are rubber farmers.

But the life of the locals has been related to cloth weaving for more than two centuries, Arob says. In the past, every family had a wooden loom on the ground under the raised floor of the house for women to weave cotton cloth for themselves and their family members. They also wove cloth as gifts to offer to monks, friends and relatives.

“It is our tradition that we must weave three types of clothes to use for three important ceremonies in our lives. First is pha tang, which is worn by a groom at his wedding ceremony. Next is pha phad, which is used for a man at his monkhood ceremony. The last one is pha phan chang, which is used for our husbands’ funerals,” she said.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The custom of cloth weaving came to an abrupt end during World War II. When the war was over, cotton yarns were in short supply.

Moreover, manufactured clothes and fabrics allowed people to have more choice. The handwoven textiles of Na Muen Si sank into oblivion. The wooden looms were abandoned or put away in a corner of the house.

In 1971, a handful of female elders wanted to give a new lease on life to their ailing art. Nang Chuayrod, 78, managed to persuade her three friends, Phom Khunthong, In Choeichuenjitr and Choem Chubua, to repair and reassemble wooden looms. They searched for broken parts of looms scattered in many houses and resurrected just one loom. It was put under Nang’s house.

The four matriarchs then passed on their knowledge to the young ones. One of the promising students was the late Kuson Nilla-or, Nang’s daughter. She absorbed every detail of hand-weaving taught by her mother. It inspired her to form Na Muen Si Weaving Group in 1973. Her aim was to preserve the beloved traditional fabrics for the younger generation.

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Section 1

Read through the story and answer the following multiple-choice questions.

1. What is the article about?

a. How to weave professionally.
b. Traditional woven fabrics.
c. Fashion trends.

2. How old is Arob Rueangsung?

a. 45 years old.
b. 55 years old.
c. 59 years old.

3. When was Na Muen Si Weaving Group formed?

a. In 1971
b. In 1973.
c. In 1993.

4. Where is Na Muen Si Village located?

a. In Trang province.
b. In Trat province.
c. In Phatthalung province.

5. Which type of clothing is worn at a wedding ceremony?

a. Pha phad.
b. Pha phan chang.
c. Pha tang.

6. Which of the following statements is NOT true, according to the article?

a. Arob Rueangsung is president of Na Muen Si Woven Cloth Community Enterprise.
b. Nang Chuayrod persuaded her friends to repair and reassemble wooden looms in 1977.
c. Kuson Nilla-or was Nang’s daughter.

7. Which of the following statements is TRUE, according to the article?

a. The majority of Na Muen Si villagers are rice farmers.
b. The village is about a 45-minute drive from the province’s airport.
c. The village is a peaceful community.

Section 2

Match each of the following words with the correct definitions from the choices given.

8. resurrect	a. spread far apart over a wide area or over a long period of time
9. loom	b. a machine for making cloth by twisting threads
10. yarn	c. the process of something becoming or being made popular or fashionable again
11. abrupt	d. to bring back into use something, such as a belief or practice that had disappeared or been forgotten
12. revival	e. sudden and unexpected, often in an unpleasant way
13.scattered	f. thread that has been spun

Section 3

Read the following passage. Then, fill in the blanks with the correct words from the choices given.

In 1975, the late Princess Vibhavadi Rangsit …..14….. the village. She was …..15….. with the fine quality of Na Muen Si cloth. …..16….. the value of traditional textiles, she invited the group to sell …….17……. woven cloth at a fair to promote local products in Witthayu Palace in Bangkok. Since then the woven fabric of Na Muen Si has become …..18….. known. City people and tourists started to visit the village, as well as those …..19….. collected traditional textiles.

14.

a. visits  
b. visit   
c. visited

15.

a. impressive 
b. impressed  
c. impression

16.

a. Known  
b. Know  
c. Knowing

17.

a. their  
b. they   
c. theirs

18.

a. widely  
b. wide   
c. widen

19.

a. which  
b. who   
c. where

Section 4

Write down the noun forms of the following words used in the story.

20. inspired

…………………………

21. managed

…………………………

22. unique

…………………………

23. persuade

…………………………

24. important

…………………………

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Answers

Section 1

1. b.
2. c.
3. b.
4. a.
5. c.
6. b.
7. c

Section 2

8. d.
9. b.
10. f.
11. e.
12. c.
13. a.
 
Section 3

14. c.
15. b.
16. c.
17. a.
18. a.
19. b.

Section 4

20. Inspiration.
21. Management.
22. Uniqueness.
23. Persuasion.
24. Importance.

SCORE

21-24: Excellent!
17-20: Good.
13-16: Fair.
12 or fewer: You'll do better next time!