Soal dan Pembahasan TBI (Reading Comprehension) Bagian 18

            An  audacious  visionary  who  developed  new film  technologies  midstream  in  order to  turn  his creative visions into film reality, director James Cameron was credited  with single-handedly resurrecting a once-dead science fiction  genre. But because of his legendary temper and determination  on set,  Cameron also became  known  as one of the  most difficult directors to work for,  genius be damned.  While  it was true  that  he  drove  himself  and  his  crews  to  the  brink  of exhaustion,   no  one  could dispute  his  passion  for blending film and technology, while effortlessly creating well-crafted stories.  Despite his penchant for aliens and space,  it 'Y3S "Titanic" (1997)  that cemented Cameron as a director for the ages.  In fact, "Titanic" was a seminal  event in  cinema  in  terms of size,  scope and commercial  success.  The film  made Cameron  a legend,  despite the production nearly destroying him. In the end, however, Cameron laid claim to being one  of the most proficient,  admired and, above all, successful directors in  Hollywood history.  

            Cameron was born on Aug. 16, 1954 in Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada. As a youngster, he was interested  in  astronomy and science  fiction,   even   penning   his  own  short  stories.   He  developed  an obsession for building rockets and airplanes from junk piles; skills that later translated into building models on  set.  A voracious  reader,  Cameron  consumed  books as a child,  making   him  verbally  and  mentally  precocious  enough to skip a grade in  school. But his most significant moment came when he saw Stanley Kubrick's  "2001:  A Space Odyssey" (1968).  After high school, he enrolled at California  State University Fullerton, where  he  studied physics for  a  year.  before dropping  out and working.  Despite his slip into a mundane life, Cameron remained obsessed  with movies. It was following a viewing  of George Lucas' "Star Wars" (1977)  that Cameron decided  he should  be making his own epics.  He left  his job to move to Los Angeles and start working in  the entertainment industry.  If there  was one positive result of the chaotic production,  it was a nightmare  Cameron had of a robot assassin from the future,  which lead  him to write  his first screenplay,  "The  Terminator"  (1984).  He made friends  with  Corman's  head  of marketing,  Gale Anne  Hurd, whom  Cameron  later  married  and convinced  to buy the script  for  a buck  - but  on the condition that he  directs the film. With a budget of  around $6.5  million and  boasting  sleek  compositions,  expertly  edited  action sequences,  and  a career - making performance  by heretofore bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger, "The Terminator" was not just a critical and commercial  triumph,  but a seminal  event in cinema that marked the dawn of a new era of action movies.  His  approach   to  the  almost-mythical  material  was witty without being  campy,  while  he  never undermined the imagery and situations by trumpeting their allusions.



  1. What is the main idea of the passage?

    1. The visions of James Cameron
    2. The movies of James Cameron
    3. The career of James Cameron
    4. The art of James Cameron
    Jawaban : c

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  2. The author mentions all of the following as jobs performed  by James Cameron EXCEPT ....

    1. director
    2. set modeler
    3. screenwriter
    4. producer
    Jawaban : b

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  3. Why is James Cameron a significant figure in the history of cinema?

    1. Because of his enthusiasm to blend film and technology
    2. Because of his temper and determination
    3. Because of his talent to choose his leading actors
    4. Because of his approach to the almost-mythical material
    Jawaban : d

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  4. Where did James Cameron go when he abandoned his job?

    1. Ontario
    2. Los Angeles
    3. Fullerton
    4. Hollywood
    Jawaban : b

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  5. The word voracious in  paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to which of the following?

    1. Eager
    2. Careless
    3. Straight
    4. Smart
    Jawaban : a

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  6. It can be inferred from the passage that James Cameron's attitude toward his crews is ....

    1. annoying
    2. demanding
    3. irritating
    4. frustrating
    Jawaban : b

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  7. The word it in paragraph 2 refers to ....

    1. positive result
    2. a nightmare
    3. the production
    4. a robot assassin
    Jawaban : a

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