Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 36 to 42.
In the days before the Internet, the word 'troll' had two different meanings. As a noun, 'a troll' was an ugly, bad-tempered creature. As a verb, 'to troll' means to fish using a line pulled slowly behind a boat. Perhaps it's easy to see why the word 'troll' has changed over time to describe anonymous individuals who 'fish' for victims by deliberately insulting and attacking people in online forums.
There are two main reasons for a troll's behaviour. The first is boredom. Trolls lack stimulation in their everyday lives and so seek satisfaction by attempting to humiliate and harm others. As well as being at a loose end, these people desire attention. They want people to react to them regardless of whether the response is negative.
Dealing with online trolls requires self-control and thinking ahead. They are attention seekers, so by engaging with them we are actually giving them exactly what they want. Instead, leave them starved of attention. A more sensible approach is this: delete, block, report, move on.
Those who are suffering at the hands of trolls or because of online bullying can seek help in various ways. The first place to turn for support might be friends and family. There are also support communities which exist to help victims of online bullying and abuse from trolls. Victims should also remember that any threats of violence made online are illegal and can be reported to Internet service providers, or the police. Given the size of the online community and the anonymity that the Internet allows, it is unlikely that the problem of trolls will ever disappear completely. For now perhaps the best we can do is starve them of the attention they seek.
(Adapted from High Note)
