A.

Choose the best

option to complete
.
these sentences
about Robert.
Robert is a
...Why ME victim of __
bullying.
cyber
 Read the following extracts physical and
from a magazine problem page. psychologica
l
verbal
There’s a gang of kids at my
school who are making my
life hell. A few weeks ago 2. Robert
doesn’t take the
they asked me for money. I
bus home
said No, but then they pushed me and hit me. Like a fool, I because he __ .
gave them my bus fare and so I had to walk home. But that lost his money
was only the start of it. Every day after that they asked for b) loves to walk
more. I had to take money from my mum’s purse to pay c) gave his
money to the
them. Now I can’t face them anymore. I haven’t been to bullies
school for over a week. I’m so afraid of them! I’ve got fever
and I throw up everything I eat. I just can’t stop wondering
“why me”?! What should I do? I can´t talk to anyone else
3. Robert
about my problem. Please help me.
started __
Robert, Edinburgh because of the
bullies.

Some time ago I had stealing

b) working
an eating disorder and c) taking money
I put on a lot of from his dad

weight. Since then my life has never been the same again. My
schoolmates are always making nasty comments on my weight
and some of their jokes are rather cruel. I feel helpless and
4. Robert
lonely. I mean, I still have some of my old friends, but I feel that I hasn’t gone to
am not as accepted as I was when I “looked good”. school because
he is __ .
Sometimes I’m just too embarrassed to be around people. Last
sick and
month I asked this boy in my class to the dance. He said yes, frightened
but the next day he dumped me. I heard later that he had said it angry and
frustrated
was because I was a fatso. What should I do? Please help me!
c) too sad
“Desperate”, Liverpool
B. Find evidence in Desperate’s text for the following:

1. Desperate’s life changed because of her weight problem. ____________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

2. She hasn´t got any friends. ___________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

3. She doesn’t feel at ease when she is near other people. ______________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

C. Reread both texts and answer these questions.

1. Why did the bullies hit Robert? ________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

2. Why do you think Robert wrote to this magazine instead of talking to his mom or his teacher? ______
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

3. What type of bullying is Desperate victim of? Account for your answer. _______________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

4. How does she feel about it? ___________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

5. What does Desperate mean by saying that she is not as accepted as she was when she “looked good”?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

6. Did she get to go to the dance with the boy she invited? Why/ Why not? ________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

D. Find opposites for these words in Desperate’s text.

lost ________________ 2. always _______________ 3. nice

________________

4. new ________________ 5. next __________________ 6. skinny

_____________