Question

1 Every school has its bullies who pick on people who are perceived as different or weak. Seventy-five percent of all students say they have been bullied physically or verbally. What can you do if you or a friend is bullied? You can take action to end the hurtful and unfair treatment.

2 Remember that bullies are really afraid; they are weak and unkind to others because they are looking for attention and want to make themselves feel superior and powerful. Bullies often come from homes where they are themselves bullied by adults who yell or call family members names, so bullies may think of this as normal behavior. But it is not. Other bullies are unaware or inconsiderate of other people’s feelings.

3 A bully is always looking for a reaction, whether of tears, angry words, or a physical fight. Just walking away and showing the bully that you are not going to get involved can help protect you from future attacks. Act as if you aren’t upset by the bully’s words or actions, even if you are.

4 One simple way to avoid being bullied is to stay out of the bully’s way as much as possible. Selecting another route to school or a different seat on the bus and asking to change seats in the classroom can help.

5 Learn to say no loudly and then walk away from the situation. Laughing at a bully as if he or she is joking sometimes works, too. Do not get into a physical fight; no one wins those battles.

6 Tell an adult about the bullying. Adults are rarely around when the bullying occurs. If you do not tell, the bully may think what he or she is doing is perfectly acceptable.

7 You can also suggest opportunities to make your school a bully-free zone. You can help change things for the better!

“Standing Up to Bullies” written for educational purposes.

Passage 2: Jane Faces a Bully
from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Jane Eyre is a novel about a young orphan living with an unkind extended family in preindustrial Britain during the Victorian era. In this excerpt, Jane describes her fear and confusion when an older boy bullies her relentlessly.

8 “It is well I drew the curtain,” thought I; and I wished fervently he might not discover my hiding-place: nor would John Reed have found it out himself; he was not quick either of vision or conception; but Eliza just put her head in at the door, and said at once –

9 “She is in the window-seat, to be sure, Jack.”

10 And I came out immediately, for I trembled at the idea of being dragged forth by the arm.

11 “What do you want?” I asked, with awkward diffidence.

12 “Say, ‘What do you want, Master Reed?’” was the answer. “I want you to come here”; and seating himself in an arm-chair, he intimated by a gesture that I was to approach and stand before him.

13 John Reed was a schoolboy of fourteen years old; four years older than I, for I was but ten: large and stout for his age, with a dingy and unwholesome skin; thick lineaments in a spacious visage, heavy limbs and large extremities. He gorged himself habitually at table, which made him bilious, and gave him a dim and bleared eye and flabby cheeks. He ought now to have been at school; but his mama had taken him home for a month or two, “on account of his delicate health.” Mr. Miles, the master, affirmed that he would do very well if he had fewer cakes and sweetmeats sent him from home; but the mother’s heart turned from an opinion so harsh, and inclined rather to the more refined idea that John’s sallowness was owing to over-application and, perhaps, to pining after home.

14 John . . . bullied and punished me; not two or three times in the week, nor once or twice in the day, but continually: every nerve I had feared him, and every morsel of flesh in my bones shrank when he came near. There were moments when I was bewildered by the terror he inspired, because I had no appeal whatever against either his menaces or his inflictions; the servants did not like to offend their young master by taking my part against him, and Mrs. Reed was blind and deaf on the subject: she never saw him strike or heard him abuse me, though he did both now and then in her very presence, more frequently, however, behind her back.

15 Habitually obedient to John, I came up to his chair: he spent some three minutes in thrusting out his tongue at me as far as he could without damaging the roots: I knew he would soon strike, and while dreading the blow, I mused on the disgusting and ugly appearance of him who would presently deal it.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. In the public domain.

Passage 3: Stop Bullying: Youth Engagement Toolkit

16 Bullying is a serious problem in many communities, so the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention work to prevent bullying and help find solutions where bullying exists. The Federal Partners consist of staff members from a variety of federal agencies, including the U.S. Departments of Justice, Education, Health and Human Services, and Agriculture.

17 We invite you to take action in your community! By following the steps in this toolkit, you can join other youth leaders across the country and the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention to organize a bullying prevention social and educational event. First, make sure you are thoroughly informed by becoming clearly apprised about what bullying is. There are three types of bullying: verbal bullying (saying or writing mean things), social/relational bullying (hurting someone’s reputation or relationships), and physical bullying (hurting a person’s body or possessions).

18 The Bullying Prevention Community Service Project Ideas, adapted from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Stop Bullying Now! Activities Guide, is a helpful resource for increasing awareness of bullying and preventing it.
1. Stop Bullying Carnivals are a way to have fun while distributing bullying prevention information.
2. Youth-designed T-shirts and Posters Contests draw attention to the importance of preventing bullying.
3. Acts of Kindness Awards are earned by peer nomination of youth who effectively prevent bullying.
4. Bullying Prevention 5K Races or Fun Runs in your community raise awareness of how to be more than a bystander.
5. Roundtable Discussions with school staff provide opportunities to discuss their role in preventing bullying and creating a positive peer culture in the school.
6. Bullying Prevention Clubs plan monthly activities to raise awareness and take action to prevent bullying.
7. Positive Rap Contests involve youth in creating a rap about the importance of kindness and respect and how bullying can be stopped.

“Stop Bullying: Youth Engagement Toolkit” written for educational purposes.

Now answer the questions. Base your answers on the passages “Standing Up to Bullies,” “Jane Faces a Bully,” and “Stop Bullying: Youth Engagement Toolkit.”

What is the most likely reason the author included paragraph 2 in Passage 1?
A. to help readers understand bullies
B. to compare bullies to their victims
C. to remind readers to control their anger
D. to simulate the experience of being bullied

Answer 1

The most likely reason the author included paragraph 2 in Passage 1 is:

**A. to help readers understand bullies.**

This paragraph explains the possible motivations and backgrounds of bullies, providing insight into their behaviors and actions.