"The Lorax" cashes in with multiple box office records

 　　LOS ANGELES, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Universal Studio's latest animated¹ film "The Lorax" has opened atop the North America box office with multiple record-shattering achievements including the highest opening for the studio's animated flick².

　　The film, produced by Chris Meledandri's Illumination Entertainment, preaches in favor of the environment and against corporatism and the destruction of the atmosphere. It is projected to gross 72.7 million U.S. dollars over the weekend, representing the biggest opener of 2012 as well as the biggest grossing film from a Dr. Seuss book.

　　The 70-million-dollar budget film is also the 4th biggest March opener, the 5th biggest animated 3D film and the 8th biggest animated PG film, according to box office tracking authorities.

　　The distributor's pre-release expectations for the 3D movie were around 40 million dollars.

　　The smashing kids movie, which based on Dr. Seuss' 1971 environmental warning of the same name and stars voices by Danny DeVito, Taylor Swift and Zac Efron, hit the screen at 3,729 locations in the United States and Canada, and took the No. 1 slot with an average 18,965 dollar receipt from each venue³.

　　The flick, which is widely regarded as a popular children's classic, is welcomed by moviegoers. Those who have seen it gave it an average "A" CinemaScore grade. According to Universal, 68 percent of the audiences was 12 years and under with their parents. Among those aged⁴ 25 or older, as many as 74 percent were parents of a child under 13 years of age.

　　"Project X," another debut⁵ of the weekend which is distributed by Warner Bros., is No. 2 with a 20.7 million dollar opening. The low-budget found-footage comedy, which is Nima Nourizadeh's feature film debut, follows three friends who plan to gain popularity by throwing a party but the move soon escalates⁶ out of their control.

　　Many of the audiences were male who made up 58 percent, and 67 percent were younger than 25 years of age. Those who have seen it gave it an average grade of "B."

　　"The Artist," which garnered⁷ five top Academy Awards including Best Picture a week ago, was also a box office winner, ranking in No.10 with 3.9 million dollars.

　　The Weinstein Co.'s silent, black-and-white paeon to the golden period of Hollywood expanded from 966 locations to 1,756 this weekend, as its receipt increased by 34 percent from last week. The film, which features Academy Awards winners of Michel Hazanavicius and Jean Dujardin, has raked in 37.1 million dollars since it premiered in North America on Thanksgiving weekend.

　　Rounding out the top 10 most popular films in North America this weekend are "Act of Valor⁸", "Safe House", "Tyler Perry's Good Deeds", "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island", "The Vow⁹", "This Means War" and "Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance¹⁰".

1 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。

2 flick   

n.快速的轻打，轻打声，弹开；v.轻弹，轻轻拂去，忽然摇动

参考例句：

• He gave a flick of the whip.他轻抽一下鞭子。
• By a flick of his whip,he drove the fly from the horse's head.他用鞭子轻抽了一下，将马头上的苍蝇驱走。

3 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

4 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

5 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

6 escalates   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的第三人称单数 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• As the challenge escalates, the need for teamwork elevates. 面临的挑战越大，越需要团队协同合作。 来自互联网
• I cannot understand why a minor disagreement escalates into a fist-fight. 我真不明白为什么一点意见不合就变成了拳头相见。 来自互联网

7 garnered   

v.收集并（通常）贮藏（某物），取得，获得( garner的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr. Smith gradually garnered a national reputation as a financial expert. 史密斯先生逐渐赢得全国金融专家的声誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals. 他的提议得到了广泛的支持。 来自辞典例句

8 valor   

n.勇气，英勇

参考例句：

• Fortitude is distinct from valor.坚韧不拔有别于勇猛。
• Frequently banality is the better parts of valor.老生常谈往往比大胆打破常规更为人称道。

9 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

10 vengeance   

n.报复，报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
• For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。