Read the passage about Cancel Culture and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the follo...

Read the passage about Cancel Culture and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 1 to 10.

Cancel Culture

        Cancel culture has become one of the most debated phenomena in today’s digital society. At its core, it refers to the practice of publicly shaming or withdrawing support from individuals or organizations that are perceived to have violated social norms. While public shaming has existed for centuries, the internet has transformed its speed and reach. [I] This immediacy has made cancel culture a powerful tool of accountability, but also a source of controversy regarding fairness, freedom of expression, and the potential for harm.

        Historically, social movements such as the abolitionist campaigns or the Civil Rights Movement relied on boycotts and public pressure to demand justice. [II] Cancel culture can be seen as a modern extension of these tactics, amplified by digital technology. Online platforms allow communities to mobilize quickly, using hashtags, petitions, or viral posts to call out perceived misconduct. Influencers and celebrities play a crucial role in shaping these narratives, either intensifying criticism or helping to mitigate its effects. The involvement of high-profile figures often determines whether a cancellation succeeds or fades away, highlighting the complex interplay between public opinion and media influence.

        The consequences of cancel culture are wide-ranging. For individuals, the impact can include reputational damage, loss of employment, and even psychological distress. [III] At the same time, public pressure can lead to positive outcomes, such as policy changes or greater awareness of discrimination and injustice. Yet critics warn of negative effects: the chilling of free speech, disproportionate punishment, and the spread of misinformation. Because online judgments are often made quickly and without due process, people may face condemnation for statements taken out of context or exaggerated by viral content. This lack of nuance raises concerns about whether cancel culture truly promotes justice or simply fuels polarization.

        Looking ahead, cancel culture is likely to evolve alongside technology and social movements. Artificial intelligence and algorithms may further amplify online criticism, while platforms will continue to struggle with balancing free speech and community safety. The future of cancel culture will depend on how societies adapt—whether they foster media literacy, encourage critical thinking, and design fairer systems of accountability. [IV] Ultimately, cancel culture reflects both the power and the risks of digital communities. It can hold individuals accountable for harmful actions, but it must be tempered with fairness, empathy, and respect for human dignity to avoid becoming destructive.

     (Adapted from Understanding Cancel Culture Meaning | literatura.edu.pe)

Question 1. The word “it” in paragraph 1 refers to ____________.

        A. debated phenomena                                B. digital society        

        C. shaming practice                                        D. cancel culture

Question 2. According to paragraph 2, influencers and celebrities mainly ____________.

        A. play a role in ensuring that online criticism becomes more objective

        B. reduce the ramification of public narratives

        C. contribute to modern activist tactics through their media presence

        D. influence whether public criticism is intensified or moderated

Question 3. Which of the following best summarises paragraph 2?

A. Influencers use their popularity to distort traditional media narratives and reshape public discourse.

B. Digital platforms allow rapid collective action, with public figures shaping the impact of cancellations.

C. Online campaigns rely on petitions more than public opinion to pressure individuals involved.

D. Cancel culture originates from historical movements but shows limited effectiveness in digital environments.

Question 4. The word “disproportionate” in paragraph 3 mostly means ____________.

        A. unacknowledged        B. inequitable                        C. unauthorized                D. disqualified

Question 5. According to paragraph 3, one possible positive outcome of cancel culture is ____________.

        A. guaranteed fairness in public judgment processes        

        B. the elimination of misinformation on social media platforms

        C. protection of freedom of expression in society        

        D. increased consciousness of social inequality and fairness

Question 6. Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 3?

A. A lack of contextual understanding leads some to see cancel culture as either ineffective or socially divisive.

B. The absence of careful judgment leads people to question whether cancel culture achieves fairness or deepens social divisions.

C. Without clear nuances, cancel culture causes injustice in digital communities and undermines trust in public accountability.

D. The complexity of cancel culture proves that polarization is unavoidable within modern online debates and social movements.

Question 7. Which factor is most likely responsible for the increasing destructiveness of cancel culture in digital communities?

        A. Relying on algorithms to accelerate the spread of public criticism.

        B. The normalization of slow and carefully considered collective judgment.

        C. The increasing visibility of online controversies across digital platforms.

        D. Deficient critical reasoning and flawed frameworks of fair accountability.

Question 8. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A. The influence of digital communities on public judgement tends to diminish once investigations are initiated.

B. The absence of procedural safeguards in online accountability increases the risk of unjust outcomes.

C. Public reactions to online controversies are increasingly shaped by individual experiences.

D. Online criticism has become more effective as digital platforms encourage careful evaluation of misconduct claims.

Question 9. Where in the passage does the following sentence best fit?

What once took weeks or months to spread through newspapers or word of mouth can now escalate within hours on social media platforms.

        A. [IV]                        B. [III]                                C. [I]                                D. [II]

Question 10. Which of the following best summarises the passage?

A. Cancel culture will evolve with technology, requiring media literacy and fair accountability systems.

B. Cancel culture enables rapid digital accountability by consistently reshaping social norms through online collective action.

C. Cancel culture shows the power and risks of digital accountability, requiring fairness and adaptation as technology evolves.

D. Cancel culture is a modern form of online punishment driven by celebrities and algorithms dominating contemporary digital public discourse worldwide today.