VI. Read the passage, and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D for each question.

Fighting Back against Bullying

it is often said that childhood is the most joyful period in a person's life. This is supposed
to be a time when children can focus on their studies and enjoy their free time with friends.
However, these days more and more children are experiencing a stressful and miserable
adolescence due to bullying.
Bullying occurs when one student, or a group of students, uses aggression to harm
another child and try to make them feel bad. This abuse can either be physical, such as pushing
or beating another student, or it could take the form of mental abuse, such as taunting and
teasing the student.
Although it may seem harmless to some, studies show that bullying can greatly impact a
child's life and have long-lasting negative effects. People who have been bullied may
experience self-esteem issues and start to lack confidence in almost everything they do. These
traits can make it difficult to manage relationships and even cause them to have trouble holding
down a steady job.
One of the most harmful types of bullying that is on the rise is cyberbullying. The bullied
student is targeted in cruel or threatening e-mails, instant messages, or hateful public posts
about them. In many cases, bullies will post embarrassing pictures of the victim or spread nasty
rumours about them through social media. In some tragic cases, children have even turned to
suicide, feeling that they can't deal with the humiliation.
If you are being bullied by another student, you don't have to accept it or suffer. There
are some steps you can take to deal with the problem. At first, you may try to ignore the bully, as
they will often lose interest in bothering you if you don't react. If the bullying persists, however,
you should tell a trusted adult as soon as possible. This could be a parent, a family friend, a
teacher, a school guidance counselor, or even the school principal. Until recently, many
teachers and school officials turned a blind eye to bullying, believing that the students would
eventually sort it out by themselves. But this mindset has changed in recent years in light of
some of the tragedies that have occurred. If for any reason you feel that your complaints are not
being taken seriously, there are other groups available online who will help you deal with
bullying. By dealing with bullying at an early stage, you can stop it before it gets much worse.
1. What can we infer from the passage?
A. Some of the worst bullies today are adults.
B. Bullying is probably not as serious as you think.
C. Bullying is a natural part of growing up.
D. The issue of bullying has got worse lately.
2. The word "them" in paragraph 2 refers to
A. victims
B. parents
C. acts of bullying
D. studies
 3. What does the author suggest that students should do if someone starts to bully them?
A. Tell an adult the first time it happens
B. Start a fight with the bully to make them scared
C. Try not to show too much emotion to the bully
D. Prove to the bully that you have other friends
4. What effects can bullying have on a person?
A. It can make them uncomfortable and feel bad.
B. It can teach them valuable lessons about life.
C. It can help them to develop a better sense of humour.
D. It can drive them to get a better job.
5. The phrase "turned a blind eye to" in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to
A. became blind B. ignored C. concerned D. escaped
6. Which of the following sentences defines cyberbullying?
A. It is an organization that stops online bullying.
B. It is a way to bully children over the Internet.
C. It is a way that bullies physically punish their victims
D. It is a website where students talk about bully problems.
7. Nowadays, the community has
A. taken notice of the problem of bullying more seriously
B. turned a blind eye to bullying
C. focused on solving cyberbullying alone
D. left the responsibilities for the school to solve the problem
VII. Read the passage, and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D for each question.
X (Twitter): 140 Characters to Express Yourself
At the start of the social media revolution, Facebook quickly became the most popular
site for sharing information with others. However, it is not the only service that people can use to
express themselves. Those who believe in the old saying that "more is less" may want to check
out Twitter. Part of Twitter's appeal is that it limits users to 140 characters whenever they update
their status. This forces people to quickly "get to the point" when they are communicating.
Twitter is a microblogging service that was created by four American programmers in
2006. The founders chose the name Twitter because the word has two definitions: "a short burst
of information" and "the sound that little birds make", both of which fit the description of what
their service provides. In fact, some people have even labeled Twitter the "SMS of the Internet".
Twitter is not just about words though. Users can also share videos and pictures. Another thing
which truly sets Twitter apart from its competition is the hashtag. Hashtags are a special way of
labeling and classifying information. They help people interested in a subject to find related
posts and content. For example, some interested in sports could simply search for hashtag
sports and they would find all messages tagged in this manner.
Twitter has also allowed people to easily connect with others who they would have never
had access to in the past. This has enabled fans to interact with their favourite celebrities by
following their Twitter updates and sending them direct messages. Of course, there is no
guarantee that the famous person will respond, as the celebrities may receive thousands of
messages each day. However, there have been some pretty stunning interactions. In 2011,
singer Justin Timberlake made headlines when he accepted an invitation from a female soldier
to attend a Marine Corps ball. In return, many celebrities find it gratifying to know some of their
supporters more closely. However, there is a dark side to Twitter conversations: Some people
who don't think before send out tweets that can cause outrage by making inappropriate or
insensitive remarks.
In November 2013, Twitter went public on the New York Stock Exchange. The added
investments should allow the company to do some incredible things in the near future.
1. What does the passage imply about Facebook?
A. It won't be very popular in the future. B. It is much more popular site
than Twitter.
C. It is stealing many ideas from Twitter. D. It became popular before
Twitter did.
2. What is an effect of Twitter's word limit mentioned in the article?
A. It helps people focus on what they want to say.
B. It caused many users to quit Twitter and use other sites.
C. It is something that most users hope will change very soon.
D. It is the same word limit that other social media sites use.
3. What is the benefit of hashtags?
A. They help users maintain privacy.
B. They help celebrities earn more money.
C. They help people find relevant content more easily.
D. They help sports fans improve their skills.
4. What does the passage suggest about celebrities?
A. They shouldn't be allowed to use Twitter.
B. Many of them enjoy connecting with their fans.
 C. They usually reply to every message they get.
D. Most celebrities don't have Twitter accounts.
5. All of the following are characteristics of Twitter EXCEPT that
A. it puts a word limit on the status
B. it allows users to find related posts and content about a certain subject.
C. it offers easy connections with others
D. it allows users to become online friends with celebrities easily
6. The word "them" in paragraph 3 refers to
A. fans
B. web sites
C. celebrities
D. requests
7. Which of the following is an example of the "darker side" of Twitter?
A. A fan asks a celebrity to do a favour.
B. A celebrity takes a fan to a dance.
C. Someone posts rude insults about another person.
D. Someone closes their account due to a lack of time.
8. Who would be most interested in the passage?
A. A person who wants to meet others online
B. A person who likes to write long posts on social media
C. A person who is looking to protect their identity on the Internet
D. A person who is dreaming of becoming famous in the future
9. Which statement will the author support most?
A. Facebook is a much better site than Twitter.
B. Each social media site has its own advantages.