Walt Disney

Question

K. Reiter

Walt Disney is known for his character creations such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and for his colossal amusement parks. But where did it all begin?

Walt Disney was born in December of 1901 in Chicago. When Walt was a toddler, the family moved to a small town in Missouri. It was there that Walt started school, and his parents started to notice his talent for drawing and painting. He would even sell his sketches to his neighbors when he was only seven. His father soon moved his family Missouri.

Walt began to study the art of drawing cartoons and even took classes at the Kansas City Institute and School of Design. In 1917, Walt’s family moved back to Chicago. Walt drew pictures and took photographs for his high school newspaper. His real passion was drawing cartoons, and he hoped to work as a cartoonist for a newspaper. However, World War I began, so he had to put his dream on hold. He tried to join the military but was rejected because he was only 16. Instead, he was sent overseas to drive an ambulance for the American Red Cross.

In 1919, Walt returned to Kansas City and met Ub Iwerks while working as a draftsman and inker in a commercial art studio. Wanting to do more, they started a small studio of their own in 1922. They made short animated advertising films for local movie theaters. The studio soon had to file for bankruptcy, so Walt and his brother Roy, convinced Iwerks to move with them to Hollywood. Their first successful character was named Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and then came Mickey Mouse. In 1928, Steamboat Willie was released. It was a Mickey Mouse cartoon with voices and music. It was a big hit.


Mickey and Minnie Mouse became very popular among the viewers.

Following Mickey, came Minnie, Donald Duck and his dogs Pluto and Goofy. In 1933, during the Great Depression, The Three Little Pigs was produced. It provided the idea that hard work pays off. Disney eventually went to produce longer films. His first movie was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The movie was a huge success. Later came Pinocchio in 1940, Dumbo in 1941 and Bambi in 1942. It wasn’t until 1964 with the release of Mary Poppins that Disney became a worldwide sensation.

In 1955, Disneyland located in Los Angeles, California opened and in 1971, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida was opened. Sadly, Disney died of lung cancer in 1966 and didn’t get to see how thousands of visitors enjoyed the park and are still enjoying it today.

Walt Disney was full of imagination and had a knack for entertaining audiences. Throughout his career, he received more than 950 honors including 48 Academy Awards and 7 Emmys. Disney’s studio released a total of 81 films during his lifetime. He brought his creations to life, and he will live on forever in his many films.
Question
Which statement best describes the structure of the fifth paragraph in relation to the text as a whole?
Responses
A It reveals the author’s opinion about how Disney became successful. It reveals the author’s opinion about how Disney became successful.
B It provides important facts about the early life of Walt Disney. It provides important facts about the early life of Walt Disney.
C It provides important background information about his brother, Roy. It provides important background information about his brother, Roy.
D It highlights Disney’s success with his many characters and films.

Answer 1

D It highlights Disney’s success with his many characters and films.