The Pixar Story
Read The Pixar Story and check the IELTS Reading answers. Between 2000 and 2005. under former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael D. Eisner, Walt Disney Company set its shareholder meetings in a series of cold-weather cities during cold-weather months. Many suspected that this had been to discour…
Passage preview
Between 2000 and 2005. under former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael D. Eisner, Walt Disney Company set its shareholder meetings in a series of cold-weather cities during cold-weather months. Many suspected that this had been to discourage attendance by the company's increasingly restless shareholders. In 2006, however, there was no need for such measures. In October 2005, Chief Operating Officer Robert Iger had replaced Eisner as CEO. On taking charge. Iger had quickly carried out a bold stroke, negotiating a buyout of Pixar Animation Studios. Although the price was high, the acquisition proved to be overwhelmingly popular.
Vocabulary from this passage
7 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- acquisition noun
The act of one company purchasing most or all of another company's shares to gain control
The acquisition of the tech startup allowed the corporation to expand its digital services.
- assemblage noun
A collection or gathering of people or things, often for a specific purpose
The museum features an impressive assemblage of artifacts from the ancient Roman Empire.
- embrace verb
To accept a new idea, technology, or belief willingly and with enthusiasm
The industry was slow to embrace renewable energy despite the obvious environmental benefits.
- enliven verb
To make something more entertaining, interesting, or appealing to an audience
The speaker used colorful anecdotes to enliven an otherwise dry presentation on economics.
- invariably adverb
In every case or on every occasion; always and without fail
The morning train is invariably late, causing significant delays for the daily commuters.
- novelty noun
The quality of being new, original, or unusual, often losing its appeal over time
The novelty of the new video game wore thin after just a few hours of play.
- succession noun
A number of people or things sharing a specified characteristic and following one after another
A succession of cold fronts brought heavy snow to the region throughout the winter months.
Answers with explanations
- 1. NOT GIVEN
The answer is NOT GIVEN. While the text mentions that **Robert Iger** replaced **Michael D. Eisner** as CEO and immediately made strategic moves like the Pixar buyout, it never explicitly mentions Iger's personal **opinion** or feelings toward his predecessor.
- 2. TRUE
The answer is TRUE. The passage confirms that Pixar's animation group brought in **practically zero revenue** and faced the risk of being shut down because its early products, such as the Pixar Image Computer, were **unprofitable**, resulting in consistent losses.
- 2-3: A
2: The answer is TRUE. The passage confirms that Pixar's animation group brought in **practically zero revenue** and faced the risk of being shut down because its early products, such as the Pixar Image Computer, were **unprofitable**, resulting in consistent losses.
3: The answer is TRUE. The text explicitly mentions that in 1993, there were **difficulties** regarding the **script** of Toy Story, leading Disney to consider shutting down the production entirely before the film was eventually completed.
- 3. TRUE
The answer is TRUE. The text explicitly mentions that in 1993, there were **difficulties** regarding the **script** of Toy Story, leading Disney to consider shutting down the production entirely before the film was eventually completed.
- 3-4: NO
3: The answer is TRUE. The text explicitly mentions that in 1993, there were **difficulties** regarding the **script** of Toy Story, leading Disney to consider shutting down the production entirely before the film was eventually completed.
4: The answer is FALSE. Far from being convinced of a promising future, **Hollywood commentators** were actually skeptical, as they **doubted** if audiences would tolerate a full-length feature in the **new medium**, viewing it as a potential novelty that might fail.
- 4. FALSE
The answer is FALSE. Far from being convinced of a promising future, **Hollywood commentators** were actually skeptical, as they **doubted** if audiences would tolerate a full-length feature in the **new medium**, viewing it as a potential novelty that might fail.
- 5. NOT GIVEN
The answer is NOT GIVEN. Although the passage lists **Finding Nemo** and **Toy Story** as part of a series of **commercially successful** films that made Pixar dominant, it provides no data or statement comparing the relative **popularity** or success between the two specific titles.
- 6. FALSE
The answer is FALSE. The statement claims Pixar contributed little, but the text states that Pixar's films accounted for **around 45%** of Disney’s **operating income** from film operations in 2004, indicating a massive financial contribution rather than a small one.
- 7. operator
The answer is **operator**. The text describes Lasseter's early job at Disneyland specifically as a ride **operator** on the Jungle Cruise, where he had to tell jokes to keep the audience engaged during the attraction.
- 8. confidence
The answer is **confidence**. The passage notes that performing as a ride operator helped Lasseter overcome shyness ('out of his shell') and specifically provided him with **confidence** when interacting with or speaking in front of a public audience.
- 9. disappointment
The answer is **disappointment**. The text states that Lasseter felt **disappointment** when he unsuccessfully tried to convince Disney's animation division to **embrace** 3-D computer animation technology during his early years at the company.
- 10. president
The answer is **president**. Dr. Edwin Catmull is explicitly identified as the **president** of Pixar during the time of the 2006 shareholders' meeting mentioned in the passage, defining his formal leadership role at the company.
- 11. listening
The answer is **listening**. The author describes Catmull as a quiet leader who did not try to **dominate** social interactions; instead, he was much more interested in **listening** to others than being the one speaking.
- 12. vision
The answer is **vision**. The passage emphasizes that despite the technological challenges, Catmull was the one who remained committed to his **vision** of creating feature films that were entirely generated by computers.
- 13. heart
The answer is **heart**. Catmull is credited with bringing together the expert teams while at Lucasfilm that eventually formed the essential core or **heart** upon which Pixar's future success and identity were built.