The Anime-zing Miyazaki!

According to the Article, what is one reason why Hayao Miyazaki's work has an organic feeling that seems both fresh and nostalgic at the same time?

• Rather than producing his anime digitally, Miyazaki illustrates his work with pen and ink, as all animation used to be done.

• Miyazaki's stunning animated films often come with a message that usually has to do with compassion, environmentalism, or other important issues.

• Miyazaki's films often include lush gardens, fantastical beasts, and mind-blowing fantasylands where inanimate objects suddenly come to life.

• Weaving genre-busting tales with complex storylines and unforgettable characters, Miyazaki is a master storyteller.

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What is this Article mainly about?

• Hayao Miyazaki created Howl's Moving Castle, an animated film in which an ordinary girl is taken in by a wizard who helps her solve mysteries, confront villains, and travel through time.

• Hayao Miyazaki's production studio now has plans to open its own theme park in Tokyo with separate lots based on five of Miyazaki's movies.

• Hayao Miyazaki's fans have created an online community where they can discuss manga and fire off references to Miyazaki's classic characters, kingdoms, and creatures.

• Hayao Miyazaki is the creator of wildly popular animated films that feature tales of complex young characters who make their way through dynamic plotlines.

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Which is the closest antonym for the word dynamic, as it is used in the Article?

• Trivial

• Sluggish

• Bizarre

• Robust

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The reader can infer from the Article that __________.

• Hayao Miyazaki's films have a distinctly different look than today's computer-animated films.

• Hayao Miyazaki plans for Studio Ghibli to build a theme park in the United States soon after the park in Japan opens.

• Hayao Miyazaki's works have been heavily influenced by the many creations released by Disney.

• Hayao Miyazaki is prouder of Kiki's Delivery Service than any of his other movies.

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Which information is not in the Article?

• How Hayao Miyazaki creates the distinctive animated style featured in his films

• Which film Hayao Miyazaki considers to be his finest animated work to date

• What Hayao Miyazaki's production studio, Studio Ghibli, plans to build in Tokyo

• How Hayao Miyazaki got his start as a creator and illustrator of anime films

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The Article states:

Magical creatures. Supernatural adventures. Mysterious underworlds. And teen heroes! These are just a few of the super captivating aspects of Hayao Miyazaki's anime films—such as Princess Mononoke or Kiki's Delivery Service—that make him such a beloved filmmaker. As a master illustrator with a rich style that pops, Miyazaki's memorable movies have become as recognizable to adventure-lovers everywhere as anything by Disney.

Which would be the closest synonym for the word "captivating," as it is used above?

• Foreboding

• Intriguing

• Mortifying

• Discomforting

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The Article states:

But what is anime (pronounced AH-nuh-may) anyway? Well, the word is short for "animation," and it refers to Japanese-style illustration in movies, television, and other media. Over the last 40 years, the art form has become popular globally. It has a unique style that has to be seen to be appreciated. Some would likely say that the style is as unmistakable as the grand storylines, which often deal with wizards, robots, and/or parallel universes. The stories also tend to emphasize complex young characters making their way through dynamic plotlines.

Why did the author include this passage?

• To provide an explanation of an important artistic style that is mentioned throughout the Article

• To point out the fact that anime movies typically contain an important global message

• To draw a comparison between Japanese anime and a form of animation that is used worldwide

• To suggest that a Japanese style of animation was influenced by outside sources

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Which passage from the Article best supports the idea that Miyazaki's painstaking method of producing animated images is an important reason for his films' success?

• But what is anime (pronounced AH-nuh-may) anyway? Well, the word is short for "animation," and it refers to Japanese-style illustration in movies, television, and other media. Over the last 40 years, the art form has become popular globally. It has a unique style that has to be seen to be appreciated. Some would likely say that the style is as unmistakable as the grand storylines, which often deal with wizards, robots, and/or parallel universes. The stories also tend to emphasize complex young characters making their way through dynamic plotlines.

• Each hand-drawn frame is loaded with lush gardens, fantastical beasts, and mind-blowing fantasylands. In the stories, inanimate objects come to life or spirit guides lead young heroines through perilous adventures. And because Miyazaki is a traditionalist, none of his illustrations are produced digitally. All of his work is illustrated the original way: with pen and ink. It's what gives his expressive films an organic feeling that can make them seem both fresh yet nostalgic.

• Many viewers might add, however, that his superb storytelling skill is what makes Miyazaki so compulsively watchable. Take Howl's Moving Castle, for instance, the story of a magic kingdom at war. In the movie, an ordinary girl, Sophie, is transformed into an elderly woman. She's soon taken in by the wizard Howl who roves the smoky skies of netherworlds in his magic floating castle. Together, they solve mysteries, confront vicious villains using magic and hi-tech gadgets, and even travel back and forth through time.

• Miyazaki's reputation as an advocate for children and a creator of wild worlds may also explain why Miyazaki's production studio, Studio Ghibli, now has plans to build its very own Miyazaki theme park in Tokyo. Scheduled to open in 2022, the 460-acre (more than 20 million- square-foot) site will have separate lots based on five of Miyazaki's movies. So, if you're ever in Japan, get ready to fly on Howl's magic castle or meet a real live Princess Mononoke!

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