Anime looks to expand overseas

Japan animation is a $3.5 billion hit at home, but still looking to make a firm beachhead overseas.

精聽建議：
先完整地把一條新聞聽一到三遍，爭取掌握大意。然后，一句一句精聽，力爭每句話都聽明白。遇到實在不懂的地方，再聽寫。

下面的文本材料中空缺部分里面要填的詞都很簡單，不過是一些值得注意的連讀或者典型的美式發音哦，有些語速比較快。試試看，你能不能全部寫對？

（參考文本，歡迎指出錯誤^^）

Japanese anime or animation is a 3.3-billion-dollar hit 1 , but still looking to make a firm beachhead overseas. An industry that began nearly 100 years ago has undeniable winners like Pokemon franchise, with feature films, cartoons, and 2 character products. But anime exports are worth 3 10% of domestic business. And Japan is hosting an international fair to push its prowess, from cult status to cultural icon. Some anime watchers say Japanese trademarks, high production values, characters with huge eyes, and busty women don't always translate abroad.

Another concern is that the local industry may be hollowing out because of a brain drain to the game industry. Still some industry crossover has begun. And this Karaoke game allows customers to do their own anime voice-overs. 4 that Hollywood is also responding to anime's potential, Disney recently announced ties with Japanese producer Toei, planning a robot 5 anime likely due in May.

Dan Sloan, Reuters Tokyo.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. hit : n-count

If a CD, film, or play is a hit, it is very popular and successful.

eg: The song became a massive hit in 1945.

2. beachhead : n-count

A beachhead is an area of land next to the sea or a river where an attacking force has taken control and can prepare to advance further inland.

3. slew : n-count

A slew of things is a large number of them. (mainly AM)

4. prowess : n-uncount

Someone's prowess is their great skill at doing something. (FORMAL)

5. brain drain : n-sing 人才外流

When people talk about a brain drain, they are referring to the movement of a large number of scientists or academics away from their own country to other countries where the conditions and salaries are better.

6. crossover : n-var

A crossover of one style and another, especially in music or fashion, is a combination of the two different styles.

7. Karaoke : n-uncount

Karaoke is a form of entertainment in which a machine plays the tunes of songs, and people take it in turns to sing the words.

8. voice-over : n-count

The voice-over of a film, television programme, or advertisement consists of words which are spoken by someone who is not seen.