N. American box office registers record summer yield

 　　LOS ANGELES, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The North American box office has witnessed a record summer, with 4.4 billion U.S. dollars in ticket sales and a 1-percent increase in admissions over the same period last year, the National Association of Theater Owners said Wednesday.

　　The summer of 2011 also marked the fifth consecutive¹ summer when box office revenues in the United States and Canada exceeded 4 billion dollars, according to the Washington-based group of large cinema chains and independent theater owners.

　　"In the midst of 9 percent unemployment and a continuing weak economy, it is striking that the movie theater industry can continue to grow revenues and admissions," the theater group's President and CEO John Fithian said.

　　Summer is defined as running from the first full weekend in May through Labor² Day of each year.

　　As two of the most important benchmarks in terms of movie business, both box office and admissions have rebounded³ strongly since the difficult first quarter, when a huge 21 percent drop from the same period in 2010 was registered, the group said.

　　The second quarter box office this year outstripped⁴ the same period in 2010 by 4.4 percent, with admissions up by 2 percent.

　　"In a weak economy or strong, the movie theater remains⁵ the first and most affordable⁶ choice in out-of-home entertainment," Fithian said.

　　The National Association of Theater Owners, with more than 30,000 movie screens in all 50 U.S. states and additional cinemas in 50 countries worldwide, is the largest exhibition trade organization in the world.

1 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 rebounded   

弹回( rebound的过去式和过去分词 )； 反弹； 产生反作用； 未能奏效

参考例句：

• The ball rebounded from the goalpost and Owen headed it in. 球从门柱弹回，欧文头球将球攻进。
• The ball rebounded from his racket into the net. 球从他的球拍上弹回网中。

4 outstripped   

v.做得比…更好，（在赛跑等中）超过( outstrip的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• That manufacturer outstripped all his competitors in sales last year. 那个制造商家去年的销售量超过了所有竞争对手。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The imagination of her mother and herself had outstripped the truth. 母亲和她自己的想象力远远超过了事实。 来自辞典例句

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。