TEST YOURSELF: Turning tears into smiles
published : 7 Sep 2023 at 12:16
writer: Gary Boyle
The exhibition ‘Everybody/Cries/Sometimes' helps visitors connect with their emotions through art.
Test Yourself can improve your reading skills. Whether it’s for tests like university entrance exams or IELTS and TOEFL, or even just for fun, these stories help you to read, understand and improve your English.
A PDF and audio for this story are available to download below.
Read the following story by Suwitcha Chaiyong from Bangkok Post’s Life section. Then, answer the questions that follow.
Seeing the art toy Crybaby, which is an adorable crying girl, can make you smile. The exhibition "Everybody/Cries/Sometimes" by Nisa "Molly" Srikumdee, draws large crowds even on weekdays due to Crybaby's popularity.
Adorable emotions
Nisa said that she became interested in the concept of tears when she was young because her parents would tell her to stop crying.
"I want to change people's attitudes towards crying, so I created Crybaby to express emotions in an adorable way," she said.
Tough days
"Everybody/Cries/Sometimes" is divided into two zones. With free admission, the first zone on the 2nd floor of River City Bangkok displays paintings and sculptures in Crybaby's signature style. Located on the 1st floor, the Insomniac Zone costs 450 baht, which includes a "no sleep" set -- a Crybaby brooch and a pyjama suit for wearing in the zone.
"Each artwork in the exhibition represents a reason that makes people cry. The Insomniac was inspired by people who can’t sleep. The white stuffed Crybaby doll in the Insomniac Zone is massive in size with huge tears rolling down its face. Spending time in this area may help visitors to get through their tough days," said Nisa.
The Broken One is a huge brown Crybaby with its body parts separated. Nisa explained that The Broken One was inspired by a heart that is broken into pieces.
"The Angry collection says, 'I'm not angry. I'm in pain'. This collection represents people who feel sad, but do not know how to express their emotions, so they channel their anger to cover their grief."
Going viral
Before becoming a toy designer and artist, Nisa used to work as a designer for weddings, parties and other events. She decided to spend her free time moulding clay. After two months, she eventually got a prototype of Crybaby, a cute girl crying in a standing pose.
A Chinese woman who liked her work shared the photo on social media in China, causing Crybaby to go viral.
Pop Mart, the collectable art toy brand that has over 350 retail stores in 23 countries, signed a contract with Nisa to sell Crybaby in their stores.
When Nisa was asked to give advice to aspiring toy artists, she advised that they should find a unique character.
"Aspiring artists must create a character that stands out from the rest. This can help characters gain visibility," said Nisa.
"Everybody/Cries/Sometimes" runs at River City Bangkok until Sept 30.
Section 1: Write the correct answer in the space provided.
1. The show is busy every day. True or false? …………….
2. Which floor of the exhibition is free to enter? …………….
3. What was Nisa’s previous job? …………….
4. Whose Crybaby post went viral? …………….
5. Which brand is available in 23 countries? …………..
6. When does the art show end? …………….
Section 2: Read the following passage. Then, fill in the blanks with the correct words from the choices given.
"The hairstyle of the first Crybaby was …7… by the ears of my golden retriever. After …8… the Crybaby, I posted a photo of it on my Instagram and a Chinese woman sent me a message …9… me if it was available for …10… .”
7. __A. inspire __B. inspired __C. inspiration
8. __A. create __B. created __C. creating
9. __A. ask __B. asked __C. asking
10. __A. buy __B. purchase __C. sell
Section 3: Find words that match the following definitions.
11. an idea or plan ……………
12. ways of thinking or feeling about something ……………
13. deep sadness ……………
14. being unlike anything else …………
