Media Matters Answer Key Unit 1: Comic Book Heroes Reading Recap Content from passage to use when answering questions: What are some interesting things to note about the original Captain America character? Captain America was first created in the 1940s during WWII. At that time, America had not yet joined the war, and the artist Jack Kirby created the character as a form of political protest. Kirby was disgusted by the actions of Nazi Germany and wanted to use this character as a symbol of rebuttal2 to those Americans who opposed America joining the war in Europe against Germany. Unsurprisingly, this initial Captain America is portrayed as very idealistic and patriotic: a righteous soldier. His uniform reflects this, being a bold and bright red, white and blue. How has development of the MCU affected the Marvel Universe overall? One interesting side effect of the MCU is the influence it is having on the general storyline of the original Marvel Universe. The MCU now encompasses a wide range of multimedia including movies, associated TV series, books, and new comic titles. Some of the plot seen in the different media of the MCU ends up contradicting the events portrayed in the actual original comics. In some cases, because of the changes that were made in the MCU, the comic writers at Marvel had to retcon the story in the comics to match the changes. One case in point is the existence of Phil Coulson. He was an agent of SHIELD that first appeared in the movie Iron Man, and it was due to his death in the movie The Avengers that the team of Avengers pulled together as a team and eventually defeated Loki. However, the character of Phil Coulson never actually existed in the original Marvel Universe. Due to his popularity in the MCU, writers at Marvel have now written him into the Marvel Universe and changed the original storyline by doing so. What is something fans of the MCU have done or created? On discussion boards like Reddit, comic forums, movie forums, and fan sites, fans are passionately discussing what they think should be considered officially part of the Marvel Universe or the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fans have also created the Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki—essentially, this is a fan-made encyclopedia of all the information that can be gleaned from the MCU. On the wiki, fans have painstakingly created a timeline based on MCU information and at present there are over 15,000 articles on the site discussing aspects of the MCU. Sample Answers What are some interesting things to note about the original Captain America character? It was created by Jack Kirby during WWII. He made Captain America as a political protest. Kirby made Captain America idealistic and patriotic because he was angry about the people who opposed America fighting against Germany. How has development of the MCU affected the Marvel Universe overall? The creation of the MCU has led to multimedia such as TV series, books, and new comic titles. These new multimedia sometimes contradict the original storylines, so Marvel has to retcon stories, like they did with Phil Coulson who is an agent of SHIELD. What is something fans of the MCU have done or created? 1 ⓒ 2019 Seed Learning. All rights reserved. Media Matters Answer Key Fans of the MCU have discussions on social media sites such as Reddit about aspects of the MCU. They dispute which parts of the MCU are officially part of the original Marvel Universe. Fans have created an MCU Wiki which shows the timeline of the MCU. Talk It Over Together Sample Answers A: I chose Deadpool. I have seen both the Deadpool movies, so I know this character well. B: OK, then I choose Iron Man. So, who do you think would win in a battle? A: Obviously Deadpool would win. He is strong and he can regenerate body parts, even if they are cut off. B: Well, he is stronger than some men. But he is not super strong. Iron Man is much stronger in his suit. Deadpool can’t hurt him. A: But I think that Deadpool has better fighting skills than Iron man. B: No, I disagree. Iron Man’s suit can shoot lasers and bullets at Deadpool. And Iron Man can fly in his suit. A: Hmm, I guess you are right. Iron Man can do a lot of things that Deadpool can’t do. B: And don’t forget that Iron Man is a genius. His intelligence would also help him beat Deadpool. A: OK. Iron Man wins. Respond in Writing Sample Answers A superhero from movies that I know about is Wonder Woman. She was sculpted from clay by her mother, Queen Hippolyta, and was given a life and superhuman powers by the Greek gods. She undergoes a personal change when she must choose between love and keeping her super powers. Luckily, she does not lose them forever. Wonder Woman has appeared in the crossover movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Fans think that Steve Trevor who died in the first movie will turn out to be still alive in the next movie. Listening for the Gist A. Title: Rivals, Justice League Captain America vs. Batman: gadgets, intellect Thor vs. Wonder Woman: goddess, invincible, angry. Iron Man vs. Cyborg: robotic, sonic hand Hulk vs. Superman: endless, kryptonite, destroy Captain Marvel vs. Green Lantern: survive, energy, ring, create Namor the Submariner vs. Aquaman: mutant, control Spiderman vs. the Flash: evade, jokesters Creative Conversations Sample Answers If I were a superhero, I would like to have the power to control the weather. I think that weather control could be used to save lives. My main goal would be to prevent loss of life through natural disasters. For example, if there were a wild fire, I would make it rain so the fire is put out. If there were heavy rain and a risk of floods, I would move the rain to an area where there is a drought. If the 2 ⓒ 2019 Seed Learning. All rights reserved. Media Matters Answer Key winds were too strong and there was a risk of buildings being destroyed, I would make the wind stop instantly. I think I could save many lives. I would wear a blue suit with a big green rain drop on the chest. Share and Spread Wrap-up Sample Answers 1. Storyline: The storyline is about superheroes living ordinary lives in which they no longer use their powers. But they are called on a secret mission to save the world, so they have to use their powers. Main characters: The Parr Family (Bob, Helen. Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack), Syndrome What they do: They fight the Omidroid which Syndrome is trying to use for bad. They also have to fight Syndrome. Message: Never underestimate someone. Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Having a weakness doesn’t mean you’re weak. You can always count on family. 2. 1. The Parr Family live a normal life.__ 2. Bob enjoys the work and does more. But Bob sometimes does secret work. He gets his suit repaired and gets____ Bob gets a message asking him to stop suits for his whole family. Bob goes__ the Omnidroid. Bob tears his suit._____ to the Island of Nomnisan._________ 3. Helen finds out what Bob is doing.____ 4. The Parrs escape in a rocket._____ She flies to Nomnisan to find him._____ They fight Syndrome with their friend Violet and Dash hide in her airplane.___ Frozone. Syndrome tries to kidnap Syndrome captures them all._________ Jack-Jack who shows his own powers for the first time._______________ Vocabulary A. 1. b 2. c 3. d 4. a 5. b B. 1. b 2. d 3. a 4. c Images (L-R) 4, 1, 2, 3 C. 1. a 2. b 3. a 4. a 3 ⓒ 2019 Seed Learning. All rights reserved. Media Matters Answer Key Unit 2: The Popularity of K-pop Reading Recap Content from passage to use when answering questions: How did Seo Taiji and H.O.T. lay the foundation for future K-pop artists to build on? The group Seo Taiji and Boys are considered the forerunners of modern K-pop. Seo Taiji, the front man of this group, was an innovator. He decided to incorporate a blend of American rap and hip-hop into the existing style of Korean pop music. This fusion proved popular and the group’s single “I Know” went on to top the charts for 17 weeks in 1992. Funnily enough, Seo Taiji and Boys performed this single on a talent show earlier in the year, and not only did the group not win the contest but the judges gave the song the lowest score of any on the show that night! This didn’t matter to the South Korean public, however, who were ready for a change in the music scene. H.O.T., the first Korean idol group, cemented this music style and added other features—such as having individual roles for each member—into the mix. Thus, K-pop as we know it was born. What are examples of K-pop groups known for their use of hooks, dancing, and/or fashion? The hooks, the dancing, and the fashion: these are three of the elements that make K-pop so appealing. K-pop songs are well-known for having catchy hooks and, in fact, some songs have been so catchy that they have been banned from Korean schools! Apparently, students cannot fully concentrate on studying for their university entrance exams with the lyrics from these songs running through their heads.