Imax中国借力小“妖怪”
Imax中国借力小“妖怪”
尽管国内还不能玩到这一风靡的游戏，但万达集团的子公司已赢得相关权利，制作一部基于《口袋妖怪》角色“皮卡丘”的大电影。
测试中可能遇到的词汇和知识：
subsidiary 子公司[səb'sɪdɪərɪ]
film distribution 影片发行
blockbuster 大片；一鸣惊人者['blɒkbʌstə]
segment 分割['segm(ə)nt]
阅读马上开始，建议您计算一下阅读整篇文章所用的时间，对照下方的参考值就可以评估出您的英文阅读水平。
如果您读完全文用时为： 那么，您的阅读速度相当于 每分钟阅读的英文单词数
2分47秒 母语为英语者的朗读速度 140
1分7秒 母语为英语的中学生的阅读速度 250
0分31秒 母语为英语的大学生的阅读速度 350
0分31秒 母语为英语的速读高手 1000
Imax China: monster screens（319 words）
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Gotta catch ’em all. Imax China, the Hong Kong-listed subsidiary of the US cinema technology group, is the latest company caught up in the hype about Pokémon Go. On Wednesday Legendary Entertainment, a subsidiary of Wanda Group, reportedly won the rights to make a feature film based on Pokémon character Pikachu. Shares in Imax China — for whom Wanda is a big customer — rose as much as one-tenth and closed up 4 per cent.
There was much more to the rise, however, than a monster craze. Also on Thursday, Imax China announced its first set of interim results since listing in September. This registered a turnround to net profit after losses in the prior first half, on revenues that are up a quarter. The figures suggest more upside lies ahead.
Superficially, the numbers were not encouraging. Imax China makes money by selling and maintaining screens, film distribution and revenue-sharing. Box office revenues rose a mere 3 per cent, within which the take per screen fell nearly one-quarter. But much of that decline was due to a tough comparison base: Fast and Furious 7 screened in the first half of 2015. Encouragingly for the full year, the box office for June 2016 was up more than a half as blockbusters including Warcraft were released.
Screen sales also sent a mixed signal. Orders for 79 new theatre systems in the first half exceeded the prior year’s total. The company revised its forecast for full-year screen installations from 100 to 115. Yet the segment was a drag, with two system upgrades depressing margins. It is the third category that looks most promising, however. An increasing proportion of the company’s installed theatres operate under revenue-sharing agreements, which cover maintenance and film distribution and enjoy higher margins. Those segments will expand with the growing network.
Pikachu’s advent to the large screen may be exciting. Next to Imax China’s strong outlook, it is merely a sideshow.
请根据你所读到的文章内容，完成以下自测题目：
1. Where did Imax China come to market?
A. HK
B. UK
C. US
D. Beijing
2. How is Imax China’s financial status in the prior first half?
A. loss of net profits
B. turnround to net profit after losses
C. profits began to spiral up
D. not mentioned
3. Which one is not mentioned as the company’s source of income?
A. selling and maintaining screens
B. patent royalty of Imax
C. film distribution
D. revenue-sharing
4. What is author's attitude towards Imax China?
A. hesitating
B. anxious
C. resentful
D. looking good
[1] 答案 A. HK
解释：这家公司在香港上市。
[2] 答案 B. turnround to net profit after losses
解释：文章提到继上半年出现亏损后，净利润在营收增长四分之一基础上实现扭亏为盈。故上半年是亏损状态。
[3] 答案 D. revenue-sharing
解释：Imax中国的盈利来自出售和维护大银幕、电影发行和收入分成。
[4] 答案 D. looking good
解释：文章最后一段再次强调：皮卡丘登上大银幕也许令人兴奋。但比起Imax中国的强劲前景，这只是一个小插曲。
