3, Disney is one of the most powerful companies in the world. In fact, it is so big and has so much influence that a new word has come into English: DISNEYFICATION. Here is a quick guide to the effects of Disneyfication.
A few media and publishing giants control many of the things we watch, read and listen to. Therefore the West — mainly the USA — has a strong influence on the world’s popular culture. It is easy for people to identify with the products of the entertainment corporations. These products are glamorous, exciting and full of the latest technology; they easily become part of the culture that people share with their friends and their communities.
As the culture of western entertainment spreads, the world will lose a lot of its cultural variety. Everyone is becoming more and more alike: all around the world teenagers wear the same “uniform” of baseball caps, blue jeans and running shoes.
Countries like Canada, France and Malaysia have been fighting hard to protect their traditional culture by restricting the import of foreign books, films and so on. However, companies that want to increase their culture exports are in favor of a new treaty, the Multilateral Treaty of Investment. This treaty would limit the power of governments to control cultural imports.
Major corporations like Disney make consumerism part of sports, arts and entertainment. After you have taken your children to see the latest Disney movie, they will want you to buy the video, the key chain, the toys, the T-shirt, the note-paper, the pencil set…Every film comes with a package of products, games, and children’s books — and, of course, a careful plan for marketing them all.
Theme parks are becoming a model for towns and commercial development. Everywhere, you can find chain restaurants, giant shopping malls, and modernized city centers that all follow the same pattern. They are all designed to make us feel as if we are getting away from life’s problems — and to make us spend money. As this kind of development spreads, there is less and less space for other values and other ways of doing things.
1. The effects of Disneyfication can be seen from all of the following EXCEPT that ________.
A. the world grows like a theme park
B. we buy, buy, buy
C. we have the corporate view of nature
D. western culture grows stronger
2. What does the world “disneyfication” imply?
A. Disney is a giant corporation.
B. We all become more alike.
C. The local culture becomes less strong.
D. The real world is becoming more and more like a theme park — like Disneyland.
3. As far as the USA is concerned, the Multilateral Treaty of Investment signifies __________.
A. the limit of “culture exports”
B. the spread of “culture exports”
C. the restrict of “culture imports”
D. the limit of government’s power to control the culture imports
4. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The big influence that Disney plays on the world.
B. Disney motivates us to buy its products.
C. Children are crazy about Disney fashion.
D. Disney is simply a dream to us all.
5. The word “glamorous” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to __________ in the context.
A. beautiful B. attractive C. exciting D. elegant
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