Article 1

FORCE OF NATURE: Disney’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” achieved blockbuster status
with an estimated $155 million at the box office in the U.S. and Canada this weekend, The Wall
Street Journal reports. That figure is the second largest for a December opening, topped only by
last year’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which debuted to $248 million domestically. While
no industry observer expected the new film – a spinoff following other characters in the “Star
Wars” universe – to beat “The Force Awakens,” it was a particularly strong showing. And it
shows that the “Star Wars” franchise, which Disney acquired when it bought Lucasfilm for $4
billion in 2012, should continue to pay off. Disney has plans to release stand-alone “Star Wars”
films alongside the “Skywalker saga” films in the hopes of marketing to new fans.

Article 2

In the past three years, (ESPN) has lost nearly seven million cable subscribers. Lower fees and
shrinking ad revenues due to its decreased reach have turned ESPN into Disney’s greatest
weakness.  When subscription numbers dropped in 2015, Disney shares fell more than 9 per cent
on one August day. Even ESPN’s digital efforts have brought disappointment: last year, it cut
respected sports analyst Bill Simmons and his Grantland blog.  Disney’s film business hasn’t
been infallible, either. In 2013, Frozen became the highest grossing animated film of all time, but
this was offset by disastrous live-action releases such as John Carter and The Lone Ranger,
which cost the studio hundreds of millions of dollars.

A.  Compare the point of view in Article 1 with the point of view in Article 2.
B. Discuss one fact presented in article 1 that supports the author’s point of
view in Article 1. 
C. Discuss one fact presented in Article 2 that supports the author’s point of
View in Article 2.

Response to A:
Response to B:

Response to C: