According to movie data platform Beacon Pro., China’s Ne Zha 2 has set a new record, reaching 12.32 billion yuan, surpassing Pixar’s Inside Out 2 and entering the global box office Top 8 list! It also marks the highest-grossing animated film in the world!

From being a “demon child” to creating box office legend, why has Ne Zha become such a phenomenon?

Professor Fan Min from the School of Animation and Digital Arts at Communication University of China explains that while maintaining the core theme of “destiny lies in my own hands” from its predecessor, this sequel (续集) explores diverse contemporary themes including self-identity, fulfillment of personal values, and family bonds and friendship. “Both major and minor themes closely align with current social concerns,” she notes.

These multi-dimensional portrayals (刻画) are evident in the film’s character development: Shen Gongbao’s hidden warmth emerges when visited by his younger brother Shen Xiaobao; the furious Nezha prioritizes saving his old friend Ao Bing despite mistakenly believing the Dragon Clan destroyed Chentangguan; even minor monster characters demonstrate distinctive personalities. These characters deeply engage viewers.

This narrative complexity is matched by technical ambition. The sequel has three times as many characters as the original. All characters, new and returning, get full visual upgrades with smoother models and lifelike skin. The production team of over 4,000 members created nearly 2,000 special effects shots. A particularly noteworthy 1-minute battle scene at Chentangguan required six months of storyboard preparation. Director Yang Yu (better known as “Jiaozi”) emphasizes their philosophy: “We’d rather go without than settle for less. Audiences granted us this sequel opportunity. Serving them half-baked work contradicts our values. We believe viewers always appreciate sincere creations.”

Oscar judge Sheila Sofian publicly invited Director Yang: “I sincerely hope ‘Ne Zha 2’ will compete for the 2025 Oscars — I’ll be honored to cast my vote for it!” Another Academy member Alan Erasov praised: “Chinese people, especially the film industry, should take great pride in this achievement.”

1.1.What does the underlined words “align with” probably mean?

A Disagree with.

B Be consistent with.

C Differ from.

D Contradict with.

解析：选B。B 词义猜测题。根据文章内容，此处提到续集的主题与当前社会关注点的关系。教授指出无论是主要还是次要主题都 “closely align with” 当前社会关注点，说明主题和社会关注点是紧密相关、相符的。故选B。

2.2. Which words can best describe the characters in Ne Zha 2?

A Boring and flat.

B Complicated and cheap.

C Simple and rough.

D Complex and detailed.

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。第四段首句表明电影角色的发展呈现出多维度的刻画，通过申公豹、哪吒及小妖怪等角色的具体事例，展现出角色性格丰富，即具有复杂性（Complex）。第五段提到所有角色，无论是新角色还是回归角色，都在视觉上有全面升级，模型更流畅，皮肤栩栩如生，这体现了角色刻画的细致入微（detailed）。故选D。

3.3. What does director Jiaozi mean by his words?

A They sacrifice quality to meet market demands.

B Sincerity in creation is not a top priority.

C Quantity matters more than quality.

D Audiences deserve their best effort.

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。根据倒数第二段饺子说的话，尤其是“We believe viewers always appreciate sincere creations.”可知，观众总是欣赏真诚的创作,即饺子认为观众值得他们最好的创作。故选D。

4.4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A Oscar judges are not interested in Ne Zha 2.

B Ne Zha 2 fails to meet the standards of the Oscars.

C Some Oscars judges think highly of Ne Zha 2.

D The Oscars are easy to win for Chinese films.

解析：选C。C 推理判断题。根据最后一段内容，奥斯卡评委的邀请和奥斯卡评委的赞扬，充分表明他们对中国电影《哪吒 2》的评价非常高。故选C。