Woman cuts rope holding painters midair

Category: Human Interest

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. high-rise / ˈhaɪˌraɪz / (adj.) – very tall; having many levels or floors
    Example:

    Our office is on the 27th floor of that high-rise building.


  2. condominium / ˌkɒn dəˈmɪn i əm / (n.) – an apartment building with several rooms or units
    Example:

    Mira is moving to a condominium near her office.


  3. attempted murder / əˈtɛmptəd ˈmɜr dər / (n.) – a crime in which someone has tried to kill another person but didn’t succeed
    Example:

    The man was charged with attempted murder after he left the security guard badly injured.


  4. national / ˈnæʃ ə nl / (n.) – a person who’s a legal citizen of a particular country
    Example:

    We have a new team member. She’s a British national who recently moved here.


  5. crack / kræk / (n.) – a thin line found on the surface of an object that shows it’s starting to break
    Example:

    Nicole accidentally dropped her phone, so there’s a small crack in the corner.


Article

Read the text below.

A resident of a high-rise condominium in Thailand cut the support rope for two painters, apparently angry she wasn’t told they would be doing work, and left them hanging above the 26th floor until a couple rescued them, police said Oct. 27.


The woman is facing attempted murder and property destruction charges, said Police Col. Pongjak Preechakarunpong, chief of the Pak Kret Police Station north of the Thai capital.


Pongjak did not say what prompted the suspect to cut the rope, but Thai media reported that she was apparently frustrated when the workers appeared outside her room and hadn’t seen an announcement by the condo that they would be doing work on Oct. 12.


A video clip on social media showed two painters asking the residents on the 26th floor to open the window and let them in. One of the painters, a Myanmar national named Song, told Thai media that they had lowered themselves from the 32nd floor to repair a crack on the building.


The 34-year-old woman could face a prison term of up to 20 years if found guilty on a charge of attempted murder. (AP)


This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Police Col. Pongjak didn’t say what prompted the woman to cut the rope, but it was reported that she was frustrated when the workers suddenly appeared outside her room without seeing an announcement. How do you think the resident could have handled her frustration better? Discuss.
  • Do you think the management of the condominium should also be accountable for what happened to the painters? Why or why not? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • The woman was charged with attempted murder and property destruction, and she could be in prison for up to 20 years if found guilty. Do you think this punishment is fair for what she did? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, how should the woman compensate for what happened to the painters because of the incident (ex. pay them for the damages, apologize)? Why? Discuss.