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Read the following story by Suwitcha Chaiyong from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.

We all have moments when we doubt ourselves. Thai-Belgian performer Violette “V” Wautier is no different.

RISING STAR

Her breakout moment came on The Voice Thailand, just five years ago. But before that, the petite singer had never been sure if a music career was right for her.

“I am still learning about myself every day,” Violette told us. “At that time, I doubted myself. I asked myself questions like, ‘What am I doing? Is it a good choice? Is this even for me at all?’”

Her success on the show — she made it to the semi-finals — boosted her confidence. “I was chosen as one of 100 contestants from 80,000 people who auditioned. That’s not bad at all. It gave me the confidence and courage to do more,” said the 25-year-old.

Now, with a new album, numerous acting roles and several product endorsement contracts to her name, Violette has grown into a high-profile star. Her English-language album Drive is popular on radio and social media, while the single “Smoke” has begun to make waves. Her supporting role in the hit film Freelance showed that her on-screen persona is as magnetic as her onstage one. Meanwhile, her Bangkok Bank commercials mean that Violette’s face is now instantly recognisable.

Having grown up in multicultural family, Violette speaks three languages — Thai, French and English — and she was born in Japan, living there for two years. Over the years, this multicultural environment has influenced the singer’s taste in and talent for music.

“My grandparents and many relatives on my father’s side are musicians who play different kinds of music. Ever since I was born, I’ve been around music,” Violette recalled. “I listen to a lot of western music. Growing up with exposure to different cultures gave me a broader perspective because I saw the differences in how Thais and Europeans think. I decided to use these different perspectives to create music.”

GOING SOLO

This year, she made another crucial decision when she chose not to renew her contract with Universal Music Thailand in order to go independent.

To start her new chapter, Violette started writing her own songs, inspired by her own experiences, and singing in English.

“The songs sounded weird when I wrote the lyrics in Thai,” she explained. “So I started writing in English and I thought they were perfect that way. People from different countries can understand the songs.”

After writing and recording a whole album, the singer also managed to find time to star in the TV drama Club Friday the Series 10: Our Love Is Not Equal. One of the main reasons she agreed to act in the show was to reunite with co-star Jirayu “Kao” La-ongmane.

 “My grandma really likes Kao. She wants to see us in a show together. I also felt working with Kao again would be fun. And there are only four episodes, so I didn’t have to take too much time away from the music,” she said.

In Our Love Is Not Equal, which aired in October, Violette took on the new challenge of playing the protagonist. Her character, Ja, gets mixed up in a complicated relationship with two couples. “Viewers will be surprised. No one has ever seen me in a role like this,” she told us. “I’m not like Ja. I wouldn’t do anything like what she does. I think it was interesting to try and understand this kind of person.”

LOVE AND SUPPORT

Club Friday the Series is inspired by true stories from listeners who call in to the radio programme of the same name. Violette says she understands why some people call DJs for advice, but she prefers to ask her family and friends.

“People who call DJs don’t know who to talk to anymore. And they think the DJs won’t judge them. But I have wonderful support from my family and friends. They give me good advice. They love me and want what’s best for me, so I take their advice seriously.”

Section 1

Read through the story and answer the following questions. 

1. How old is V? …………….

2. What nationality is she? …………….

3. What is her new album called? …………….

4. Her mother’s grandparents are musicians. True or false? …………….

5. V can speak Japanese. True or false? ………….....

6. Where was V born?

a. Thailand. b. Belgium. c. Japan.

7. Who wrote the songs on V’s new album? 

a. V. b. Her grandmother. c. Universal Music. 

8. Will V’s next album have Thai lyrics? 

a. Yes. b. No. c. The story doesn’t say. 

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. Being smart when you’re working or making a big decision. ……………

10. But be silly when it isn’t the big deal. ……………

11. Be prepared to laughter about it. ……………

12. Family and friend help Violette to stay optimistic. ……………

13. They love her and wants what’s best for her. ……………

Section 3

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

“It’s a new ….14…. in my life. My contract ended and I ….15…. it was time to try new things. I want to see how far I ….16…. go by myself,” she explained. “As an ….17…. artist, I have grown a lot in a year.  ….18…. learned so much about the music industry, from recording to distribution. There are so many ….19…. .”  

14. a. part b. chapter c. times

15. a. felt b. feel c. fell

16. a. can’t b. could c. can

17. a. new b. independent c. pop

18. a. I’m b. I’ve c. I’ll

19. a. detail b. detailed c. details

Section 4

Write down the adjective forms of the following words used in the story in the space given. 

20. moment …………………………

21. question …………………………

22. success …………………………

23. instantly …………………………

24. environment …………………………

Answers: 

1. 25 years old.    2. Thai-Belgian.   3. Drive.    4. False.  5. False.   6. c.  7. a.    8. c.

9. being; be   10. the; a  11. laughter; laugh  12. friend; friends 13. wants; want 

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

20. Momentous.21. Questionable.22. Successful. 23. Instant/Instantaneous.   24. Environmental. 

SCORE

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