question: Comics are a medium used to express ideas by images, often combined with text or other visual information. Comics frequently takes the form of juxtaposed sequences of panels of images. Often textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia indicate dialogue, narration, sound effects, or other information. Size and arrangement of panels contribute to narrative pacing. Cartooning and similar forms of illustration are the most common image-making means in comics; fumetti is a form which uses photographic images. Common forms of comics include comic strips, editorial and gag cartoons, and comic books. Since the late 20th century, bound volumes such as graphic novels, comics albums, and tankobon have become increasingly common, and online webcomics have proliferated in the 21st century.

The history of comics has followed different paths in different cultures. Scholars have posited a pre-history as far back as the Lascaux cave paintings. By the mid-20th century, comics flourished particularly in the United States, western Europe (especially in France and Belgium), and Japan. The history of European comics is often traced to Rodolphe Topffer's cartoon strips of the 1830s, and became popular following the success in the 1930s of strips and books such as The Adventures of Tintin. American comics emerged as a mass medium in the early 20th century with the advent of newspaper comic strips; magazine-style comic books followed in the 1930s, in which the superhero genre became prominent after Superman appeared in 1938. Histories of Japanese comics and cartooning (manga) propose origins as early as the 12th century. Modern comic strips emerged in Japan in the early 20th century, and the output of comics magazines and books rapidly expanded in the post-World War II era with the popularity of cartoonists such as Osamu Tezuka. Comics has had a lowbrow reputation for much of its history, but towards the end of the 20th century began to find greater acceptance with the public and in academia.
1. What is a medium used to express ideas by images?
2. Are these images often combined with other information?
3. What kind of information?
4. How many kinds of textual devices are often used?
5. What contributes to narrative pacing?
6. What is the most common image making means?
7. Which form uses photographic images?
8. When did graphic novels become common?
9. What about webcomics?
10. Has the history of comics followed the same paths in different cultures?
11. Where have scholars postited comic pre-history to?
12. Did comics flourish in western Europe in the mid 20th century?
13. Any place in particular?
14. Any other places?
15. Where is European comics traced to?
16. When did they become popular?
17. What was a popular comic book during that time?
18. When were magazine style comic books emerging?
19. Did this lead to the popularity of the superhero genre?
20. Which superhero spawned this surge?
****
answer: 1. Comics
2. yes
3. text or other visual information.
4. six
5. Size and arrangement of panels
6. Cartooning and similar forms of illustration
7. fumetti
8. Since the late 20th century
9. in the 21st century.
10. no
11. the Lascaux cave paintings.
12. yes
13. (especially in France and Belgium)
14. The United States and Japan
15. Rodolphe Topffer's cartoon strips of the 1830s,
16. in the 1930s
17. The Adventures of Tintin.
18. the 1930s
19. yes
20. Superman

question: (CNN) -- A five-year-old British boy who was kidnapped in Pakistan earlier this month has been found safe and is back with his relatives, the British High Commission said Tuesday.

Sahil Saeed was released at a school in the Punjab province of Pakistan, said Assistant Chief Constable David Thompson of the Greater Manchester Police in England, near his parents' residence in Oldham.

From there, Sahil wandered into a field and was found by residents who looked after him until police arrived, Thompson said.

Regional Pakistani police said Sahil was found near the town of Danga in Punjab province, close to where he was abducted March 3.

Sahil was in good condition, said Aslam Tareen, the head of the regional police.

"He is with members of family in Pakistan and the Pakistani police, and there is also contact from the British High Commission," Thompson said. He added that Sahil had already spoken to his mother and father in England by telephone and that both parents were "clearly relieved" to speak to their son.

The High Commission issued a statement thanking police in Jhelum, another town in the eastern province of Punjab, for the boy's return.

"This is fantastic news that brings to an end a traumatic ordeal faced by Sahil and his family," said Adam Thomson, the British high commissioner to Pakistan.

Police arrested some of the kidnappers, said Rana Sanaullah, the provincial law minister.

Sahil, a British citizen of Pakistani descent, was on the last day of a two-week vacation in Pakistan before he was to return home to Oldham, in northern England.
1. Who was kidnapped?
2. Where does he live?
3. Where is that?
4. Where was he taken?
5. What was he doing in Pakistan?
6. How long was it to last?
7. How much was left?
8. When was he kidnapped?
9. Did they let him go?
10. Where?
11. Where was that?
12. Where did he go?
13. Who found him?
14. Where?
15. Had he been beaten?
16. Did someone call the police?
17. Did he get to speak with his parents?
18. How?
19. Where were they?
20. Did they catch any kidnappers?
****
answer:
1. A five-year-old British boy.
2. Oldham.
3. England.
4. Near the town of Danga in Punjab province.
5. Vacation.
6. Two weeks.
7. One day.
8. March 3.
9. Yes.
10. At a school.
11. The Punjab province.
12. unknown
13. Residents.
14. A field.
15. No.
16. Yes.
17. Yes.
18. Telephone.
19. England.
20. Yes.