"Thor" hammers its way to box office crown

     LOS ANGELES, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The crown of the North America box office was stormed by a hammer-wielding god from "Thor," the latest in the Marvel¹ Studios productions, as the Paramount- distributed epic² adventure opened with 66 million dollars in estimated movie ticket sales collected from Friday to Sunday.

    The superhero film, based on comic book character of the same name published by Marvel Comics, landed in the number one place as it debuted³ in 3,955 locations in Canada and the United States over the Mother's Day weekend. The hammer-wielding god, associated with thunder, lightning and storms, was played by Chris Hemsworth, an Australian newcomer who was lauded⁴ by NextMovie.com as one of the "Breakout Stars to Watch for in 2011." The superhero actioner also stars the Academy Award winners such as Natalie Portman and Anthoey Hopkins, and earned an "B+" overall from CinemaScore.

    "Thor" had the added advantage of being offered in 3-D, Hollywood observer Paul Dergerabedian said, as the adventure achieved the second blockbuster opening in a row in the wake of " Fast Five," the fifth installment⁵ on the "Fast & Furious" franchise⁶ which was directed by Justin Lin and released by Universal Studios.

    "Fast Five" was in second place over the weekend, which is on track to garner⁷ 32.5 million dollars for a total of 139.8 million dollars in estimated sales over 10 days.

    "Jumping The Broom," a romantic comedy opened in third place with 13.7 million dollars in ticket sales in 2,034 theaters. The Sony/Tristar release, which is called as "insightful and inspirational," centers on two "Uptown meets Downtown" families who meet for the first time at a weekend wedding on Martha's Vineyard.

    "Something Borrowed," another romantic comedy opened over the Mother's Day weekend, was fourth with a 13.2 million-dollar gate for Warner Bros. It was based on Emily Giffin's novel of the same name, and counter-programmed against blockbusters including "Thor" and "Fast Five."Rounding out the top 10 most-popular films are:

    -- No.5: "Rio," Blue Sky Studio/Fox, 8.2 million dollars;-- No.6: "Water For Elephants," Fox, 5.6 million dollars;-- No.7: "Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family," Tyler Perry/ Lionsgate,3.9 million dollars;-- No.8: "Prom," Disney, 2.4 million dollars;-- No.9: "Soul Surfer," FilmDistrict/Sony,2.1 million dollars, and-- No.10: "Hoodwinked Too! Hood⁸ vs. Evil," The Weinstein Co,. 1. 9 million dollars.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 marvel   

vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事

参考例句：

• The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。
• The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。

2 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

3 debuted   

初次表演，初次登台（debut的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• In late 2003 a full-size SUV, the Pathfinder Armada, debuted. 2003年末，全尺寸SUV的探路者无敌舰队，推出。
• The album debuted at number two and quickly went platinum. 专辑一亮相就荣登排行榜第二名，很快就取得了白金销量。

4 lauded   

v.称赞，赞美( laud的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They lauded the former president as a hero. 他们颂扬前总统为英雄。 来自辞典例句
• The nervy feats of the mountaineers were lauded. 登山者有勇气的壮举受到赞美。 来自辞典例句

5 installment   

n.(instalment)分期付款；(连载的)一期

参考例句：

• I shall soon pay the last installment of my debt.不久我将偿付我的最后一期债款。
• He likes to buy things on the installment plan.他喜欢用分期付款法购买货物。

6 franchise   

n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权

参考例句：

• Catering in the schools is run on a franchise basis.学校餐饮服务以特许权经营。
• The United States granted the franchise to women in 1920.美国于1920年给妇女以参政权。

7 garner   

v.收藏；取得

参考例句：

• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals.他的提议得到了广泛的支持。
• Squirrels garner nuts for the winter.松鼠为过冬储存松果。

8 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。