Reading Comprehension 1

Mickey Mouse

¹Mickey Mouse was not Walt Disney’s first successful cartoon creation, but he is certainly his most famous one. ²It was on a cross-country train trip from New York to California in 1927 that Disney Land first drew the mouse with the big ears. ³Supposedly, he took his inspiration from the tame field mice that used to scamper into his old studio in Kansas City. ⁴No one is quite sure why he dressed the mouse in the now-familiar shorts with two buttons and gave him the yellow shoes. ⁵But we do know that Disney had intended to call him Mortimer until his wife Lillian intervened and christened him Mickey Mouse.

⁶Capitalizing on the interest in Charles Lindbergh, Disney planned Mickey’s debut in the short cartoon Plane Crazy, with Minnie as a co-star. ⁷In the third short cartoon, Steamboat Willie, Mickey was whistling and singing through the miracle of the modern soundtrack. ⁸By the 1930s Mickey’s image had circled the globe. He was a superstar at the height of his career. ⁹Although he has received a few minor changes throughout his lifetime, most notably the addition of white gloves and the alterations to achieve the rounder forms of a more childish body, he has remained true to his nature since those first cartoons. ¹⁰Mickey is appealing because he is nice. ¹¹He may get into trouble, but he takes it on the chin with a grin. He is both good-natured and resourceful. ¹²Perhaps that was Disney’s own image of himself. ¹³Why else would he have insisted on doing Mickey’s voice in all the cartoons for twenty years? When interviewed, he would say, “There is a lot of the mouse in me.” ¹⁴And that mouse has remained one of the most pervasive images in American popular culture.

Which of the following is the main topic of the passage?

• The image of Mickey Mouse

• The life of Walt Disney

• The history of cartoon

• The definition of American culture

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

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Mickey Mouse

¹Mickey Mouse was not Walt Disney’s first successful cartoon creation, but he is certainly his most famous one. ²It was on a cross-country train trip from New York to California in 1927 that Disney Land first drew the mouse with the big ears. ³Supposedly, he took his inspiration from the tame field mice that used to scamper into his old studio in Kansas City. ⁴No one is quite sure why he dressed the mouse in the now-familiar shorts with two buttons and gave him the yellow shoes. ⁵But we do know that Disney had intended to call him Mortimer until his wife Lillian intervened and christened him Mickey Mouse.

⁶Capitalizing on the interest in Charles Lindbergh, Disney planned Mickey’s debut in the short cartoon Plane Crazy, with Minnie as a co-star. ⁷In the third short cartoon, Steamboat Willie, Mickey was whistling and singing through the miracle of the modern soundtrack. ⁸By the 1930s Mickey’s image had circled the globe. He was a superstar at the height of his career. ⁹Although he has received a few minor changes throughout his lifetime, most notably the addition of white gloves and the alterations to achieve the rounder forms of a more childish body, he has remained true to his nature since those first cartoons. ¹⁰Mickey is appealing because he is nice. ¹¹He may get into trouble, but he takes it on the chin with a grin. He is both good-natured and resourceful. ¹²Perhaps that was Disney’s own image of himself. ¹³Why else would he have insisted on doing Mickey’s voice in all the cartoons for twenty years? When interviewed, he would say, “There is a lot of the mouse in me.” ¹⁴And that mouse has remained one of the most pervasive images in American popular culture.

What distinguished Steamboat Willie from earlier cartoons?

• Better color

• A sound track

• Minnie Mouse as co star

• The longer format

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Mickey Mouse

¹Mickey Mouse was not Walt Disney’s first successful cartoon creation, but he is certainly his most famous one. ²It was on a cross-country train trip from New York to California in 1927 that Disney Land first drew the mouse with the big ears. ³Supposedly, he took his inspiration from the tame field mice that used to scamper into his old studio in Kansas City. ⁴No one is quite sure why he dressed the mouse in the now-familiar shorts with two buttons and gave him the yellow shoes. ⁵But we do know that Disney had intended to call him Mortimer until his wife Lillian intervened and christened him Mickey Mouse.

⁶Capitalizing on the interest in Charles Lindbergh, Disney planned Mickey’s debut in the short cartoon Plane Crazy, with Minnie as a co-star. ⁷In the third short cartoon, Steamboat Willie, Mickey was whistling and singing through the miracle of the modern soundtrack. ⁸By the 1930s Mickey’s image had circled the globe. He was a superstar at the height of his career. ⁹Although he has received a few minor changes throughout his lifetime, most notably the addition of white gloves and the alterations to achieve the rounder forms of a more childish body, he has remained true to his nature since those first cartoons. ¹⁰Mickey is appealing because he is nice. ¹¹He may get into trouble, but he takes it on the chin with a grin. He is both good-natured and resourceful. ¹²Perhaps that was Disney’s own image of himself. ¹³Why else would he have insisted on doing Mickey’s voice in all the cartoons for twenty years? When interviewed, he would say, “There is a lot of the mouse in me.” ¹⁴And that mouse has remained one of the most pervasive images in American popular culture.

The word ‘pervasive’ in the last line could be best be replaced by

• well-loved

• widespread

• often copied

• expensive to buy

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Mickey Mouse

¹Mickey Mouse was not Walt Disney’s first successful cartoon creation, but he is certainly his most famous one. ²It was on a cross-country train trip from New York to California in 1927 that Disney Land first drew the mouse with the big ears. ³Supposedly, he took his inspiration from the tame field mice that used to scamper into his old studio in Kansas City. ⁴No one is quite sure why he dressed the mouse in the now-familiar shorts with two buttons and gave him the yellow shoes. ⁵But we do know that Disney had intended to call him Mortimer until his wife Lillian intervened and christened him Mickey Mouse.

⁶Capitalizing on the interest in Charles Lindbergh, Disney planned Mickey’s debut in the short cartoon Plane Crazy, with Minnie as a co-star. ⁷In the third short cartoon, Steamboat Willie, Mickey was whistling and singing through the miracle of the modern soundtrack. ⁸By the 1930s Mickey’s image had circled the globe. He was a superstar at the height of his career. ⁹Although he has received a few minor changes throughout his lifetime, most notably the addition of white gloves and the alterations to achieve the rounder forms of a more childish body, he has remained true to his nature since those first cartoons. ¹⁰Mickey is appealing because he is nice. ¹¹He may get into trouble, but he takes it on the chin with a grin. He is both good-natured and resourceful. ¹²Perhaps that was Disney’s own image of himself. ¹³Why else would he have insisted on doing Mickey’s voice in all the cartoons for twenty years? When interviewed, he would say, “There is a lot of the mouse in me.” ¹⁴And that mouse has remained one of the most pervasive images in American popular culture.

The word ‘appealing’ in bold is closest in meaning to

• attractive

• famous

• exceptional

• distinguishable

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CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Mickey Mouse

¹Mickey Mouse was not Walt Disney’s first successful cartoon creation, but he is certainly his most famous one. ²It was on a cross-country train trip from New York to California in 1927 that Disney Land first drew the mouse with the big ears. ³Supposedly, he took his inspiration from the tame field mice that used to scamper into his old studio in Kansas City. ⁴No one is quite sure why he dressed the mouse in the now-familiar shorts with two buttons and gave him the yellow shoes. ⁵But we do know that Disney had intended to call him Mortimer until his wife Lillian intervened and christened him Mickey Mouse.

⁶Capitalizing on the interest in Charles Lindbergh, Disney planned Mickey’s debut in the short cartoon Plane Crazy, with Minnie as a co-star. ⁷In the third short cartoon, Steamboat Willie, Mickey was whistling and singing through the miracle of the modern soundtrack. ⁸By the 1930s Mickey’s image had circled the globe. He was a superstar at the height of his career. ⁹Although he has received a few minor changes throughout his lifetime, most notably the addition of white gloves and the alterations to achieve the rounder forms of a more childish body, he has remained true to his nature since those first cartoons. ¹⁰Mickey is appealing because he is nice. ¹¹He may get into trouble, but he takes it on the chin with a grin. He is both good-natured and resourceful. ¹²Perhaps that was Disney’s own image of himself. ¹³Why else would he have insisted on doing Mickey’s voice in all the cartoons for twenty years? When interviewed, he would say, “There is a lot of the mouse in me.” ¹⁴And that mouse has remained one of the most pervasive images in American popular culture.

What does the author mean by the statement in lines

“Although ............. first cartoons”?

• The current version of Mickey Mouse is different in every way from the early cartoons.

• The original Mickey Mouse was one of the first cartoon characters.

• In the first cartoons, Mickey Mouse looked more like a child.

• The personality of Mickey Mouse has not changed over the years.

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Mickey Mouse

¹Mickey Mouse was not Walt Disney’s first successful cartoon creation, but he is certainly his most famous one. ²It was on a cross-country train trip from New York to California in 1927 that Disney Land first drew the mouse with the big ears. ³Supposedly, he took his inspiration from the tame field mice that used to scamper into his old studio in Kansas City. ⁴No one is quite sure why he dressed the mouse in the now-familiar shorts with two buttons and gave him the yellow shoes. ⁵But we do know that Disney had intended to call him Mortimer until his wife Lillian intervened and christened him Mickey Mouse.

⁶Capitalizing on the interest in Charles Lindbergh, Disney planned Mickey’s debut in the short cartoon Plane Crazy, with Minnie as a co-star. ⁷In the third short cartoon, Steamboat Willie, Mickey was whistling and singing through the miracle of the modern soundtrack. ⁸By the 1930s Mickey’s image had circled the globe. He was a superstar at the height of his career. ⁹Although he has received a few minor changes throughout his lifetime, most notably the addition of white gloves and the alterations to achieve the rounder forms of a more childish body, he has remained true to his nature since those first cartoons. ¹⁰Mickey is appealing because he is nice. ¹¹He may get into trouble, but he takes it on the chin with a grin. He is both good-natured and resourceful. ¹²Perhaps that was Disney’s own image of himself. ¹³Why else would he have insisted on doing Mickey’s voice in all the cartoons for twenty years? When interviewed, he would say, “There is a lot of the mouse in me.” ¹⁴And that mouse has remained one of the most pervasive images in American popular culture.

What did Disney mean when he said, “There is a lot of the mouse in

me?”

• He was proud of the mouse that he created.

• He knew that the mouse would be a famous creation.

• He created the mouse with many of his own qualities.

• He had worked very hard to create the mouse.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Mickey Mouse

¹Mickey Mouse was not Walt Disney’s first successful cartoon creation, but he is certainly his most famous one. ²It was on a cross-country train trip from New York to California in 1927 that Disney Land first drew the mouse with the big ears. ³Supposedly, he took his inspiration from the tame field mice that used to scamper into his old studio in Kansas City. ⁴No one is quite sure why he dressed the mouse in the now-familiar shorts with two buttons and gave him the yellow shoes. ⁵But we do know that Disney had intended to call him Mortimer until his wife Lillian intervened and christened him Mickey Mouse.

⁶Capitalizing on the interest in Charles Lindbergh, Disney planned Mickey’s debut in the short cartoon Plane Crazy, with Minnie as a co-star. ⁷In the third short cartoon, Steamboat Willie, Mickey was whistling and singing through the miracle of the modern soundtrack. ⁸By the 1930s Mickey’s image had circled the globe. He was a superstar at the height of his career. ⁹Although he has received a few minor changes throughout his lifetime, most notably the addition of white gloves and the alterations to achieve the rounder forms of a more childish body, he has remained true to his nature since those first cartoons. ¹⁰Mickey is appealing because he is nice. ¹¹He may get into trouble, but he takes it on the chin with a grin. He is both good-natured and resourceful. ¹²Perhaps that was Disney’s own image of himself. ¹³Why else would he have insisted on doing Mickey’s voice in all the cartoons for twenty years? When interviewed, he would say, “There is a lot of the mouse in me.” ¹⁴And that mouse has remained one of the most pervasive images in American popular culture.

The first image of Mickey Mouse is described as all of the following EXCEPT

• he was dressed in shorts with two buttons

• he had big ears

• he wore yellow shoes

• he was wearing white gloves

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Mickey Mouse

¹Mickey Mouse was not Walt Disney’s first successful cartoon creation, but he is certainly his most famous one. ²It was on a cross-country train trip from New York to California in 1927 that Disney Land first drew the mouse with the big ears. ³Supposedly, he took his inspiration from the tame field mice that used to scamper into his old studio in Kansas City. ⁴No one is quite sure why he dressed the mouse in the now-familiar shorts with two buttons and gave him the yellow shoes. ⁵But we do know that Disney had intended to call him Mortimer until his wife Lillian intervened and christened him Mickey Mouse.

⁶Capitalizing on the interest in Charles Lindbergh, Disney planned Mickey’s debut in the short cartoon Plane Crazy, with Minnie as a co-star. ⁷In the third short cartoon, Steamboat Willie, Mickey was whistling and singing through the miracle of the modern soundtrack. ⁸By the 1930s Mickey’s image had circled the globe. He was a superstar at the height of his career. ⁹Although he has received a few minor changes throughout his lifetime, most notably the addition of white gloves and the alterations to achieve the rounder forms of a more childish body, he has remained true to his nature since those first cartoons. ¹⁰Mickey is appealing because he is nice. ¹¹He may get into trouble, but he takes it on the chin with a grin. He is both good-natured and resourceful. ¹²Perhaps that was Disney’s own image of himself. ¹³Why else would he have insisted on doing Mickey’s voice in all the cartoons for twenty years? When interviewed, he would say, “There is a lot of the mouse in me.” ¹⁴And that mouse has remained one of the most pervasive images in American popular culture.

The paragraph following the passage most probably discusses

• the history of the cartoons

• other images in popular culture

• Walt Disney’s childhood

• the voices of cartoon characters

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

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Mickey Mouse

¹Mickey Mouse was not Walt Disney’s first successful cartoon creation, but he is certainly his most famous one. ²It was on a cross-country train trip from New York to California in 1927 that Disney Land first drew the mouse with the big ears. ³Supposedly, he took his inspiration from the tame field mice that used to scamper into his old studio in Kansas City. ⁴No one is quite sure why he dressed the mouse in the now-familiar shorts with two buttons and gave him the yellow shoes. ⁵But we do know that Disney had intended to call him Mortimer until his wife Lillian intervened and christened him Mickey Mouse.

⁶Capitalizing on the interest in Charles Lindbergh, Disney planned Mickey’s debut in the short cartoon Plane Crazy, with Minnie as a co-star. ⁷In the third short cartoon, Steamboat Willie, Mickey was whistling and singing through the miracle of the modern soundtrack. ⁸By the 1930s Mickey’s image had circled the globe. He was a superstar at the height of his career. ⁹Although he has received a few minor changes throughout his lifetime, most notably the addition of white gloves and the alterations to achieve the rounder forms of a more childish body, he has remained true to his nature since those first cartoons. ¹⁰Mickey is appealing because he is nice. ¹¹He may get into trouble, but he takes it on the chin with a grin. He is both good-natured and resourceful. ¹²Perhaps that was Disney’s own image of himself. ¹³Why else would he have insisted on doing Mickey’s voice in all the cartoons for twenty years? When interviewed, he would say, “There is a lot of the mouse in me.” ¹⁴And that mouse has remained one of the most pervasive images in American popular culture.

The word ‘those’ in bold refers to

• cartoons

• forms

• gloves

• changes

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At the age of sixty-five, Laura Ingalls Wilder began writing a series of novels for young people based on her early experiences on the American frontier. Born in the state of Wisconsin in 1867, she and her family were rugged pioneers. Seeking better farm land, they went by covered wagon to Missouri in 1869, then on to Kansas the next year, returning to Wisconsin in 1871, and traveling on to Minnesota and Iowa before settling permanently in South Dakota in 1879. Because of this constant moving, Wilder's early education took place sporadically in a succession of one-room schools. From age thirteen to sixteen, she attended school more regularly, although she never graduated.

At the age of eighteen, she married Almanzo James Wilder. They bought a small farm in the Ozarks, where they remained for the rest of their lives. Their only daughter, Rose, who had become a nationally ow known journalist, encouraged her mother to write. Serving as agent and editor, Rose negotiated with Harper's to publish her mother's first hook, Little House in the Big Woods. Seven more books followed, each chronicling her early life on the plains. Written from the perspective of a child, they have remained popular with young readers from many nations. Twenty years after her death in 1957, more than 20 million copies had been sold, and they had been translated into fourteen languages. In 1974, a weekly television series, "Little House on the Prairie," was produced, based on the stories from the Wilder hooks.

What is the main topic of the passage?

• American pioneer life

• Children’s literature

• A weekly television series

• Wilder’s career

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