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Flash Mobs: Join the Crowd 快闪旋风

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It seemed like just another day in downtown Toronto. The bustling intersection of Yonge Street and Dundas was crowded with commuters and holiday shoppers. Suddenly, a whistle rang ___1___. Seemingly out of nowhere, hundreds of people rushed out onto the street. Some were wearing pajamas, and all wielded large pillows. For the next 10 minutes, the mob engaged in a hearty pillow fight. Then another whistle sounded. As quickly as it had started, it was over. The mob immediately began to disperse, ___2___ only a crowd of puzzled onlookers. They had just witnessed Canada’s first flash mob.

这天的多伦多市区看来和平时没什么不同。喧闹的央街和登打士街口挤满了通勤族和假日购物者。突然间，哨声大作。突然间数百人蜂拥至街头，有些人穿着睡衣，所有人都挥舞着枕头。接下来的十分钟，这群人陷入了一场热烈的枕头大战。然后，另一次哨声响起，一切又旋即结束，就像开始时那般迅雷不及掩耳。这群人立刻作鸟兽散，留下一群困惑的旁观者，他们刚刚目睹加拿大的首次快闪行动。

Flash mobbing first appeared as a social experiment in New York in 2003. A journalist named Bill Wasik decided to use the power of the Internet to coordinate large groups that acted ___3___. Using email and text messaging, he arranged for a group of 200 people to gradually fill the lobby of one of New York’s glitziest hotels. At a prearranged time, everyone suddenly ___4___ into 15 seconds of thunderous applause before going on their merry way.

快闪族于2003年首度在纽约以社会实验形式出现。一位名叫比尔．伟斯克的记者决定运用网络力量集结大批行动一致的群众。他用电子邮件和手机简讯，安排为数200人的群众逐渐填满纽约一家豪华饭店的大厅。接着，每个人在预定时间突然大声鼓掌15秒钟，才欣然离开。

It may sound ___5___, but to many, that is exactly the appeal. The very randomness of taking part in an event with hundreds of strangers can be appealing. It may be silly for a single person or a small group to engage in these kinds of activities. However, the very size of these crowds seems to validate their actions, ___6___ bizarre they may be.

或许这听来很疯狂，但对许多人来说，这正是其魅力所在。和几百位陌生人一同参与一次漫无目标的行动可能很吸引人。这些行动若只有一人或一小群人从事，可能很愚蠢，但参加者如此众多，似乎认可了他们的行为，不管这些行为有多怪异。

Flash mobbing is also a testament to the organizational power of the Internet and text messaging, ___7___ it would not be possible. These relatively new technologies have allowed the phenomenon to spread to nearly every continent. Flash mobs may have started as an experiment, but they are now a worldwide phenomenon.

快闪族也证明了网络和手机简讯的组织力量，少了它们，就不可能产生快闪行动。这两样新科技使此现象几乎遍及全球。快闪行动起初或许是一种实验，但现在已是全球现象。

−by Michael Karanicolas

Vocabulary

单词发音

intersection [͵ɪntɚˋsɛkʃən] n. 十字路口

out of nowhere 突然冒出来; 莫名其妙的出现

engage [ɪnˋgedʒ] v. 从事，参加[（+in/upon）]

disperse [dɪˋspɝs] v. 解散；疏散

witness [ˋwɪtnɪs] v. 目击

coordinate [koˋɔrdnɪt] v. 协调; 安排

applause [əˋplɔz] n. 鼓掌; 掌声

take part in 参加, 出席

bizarre [bɪˋzɑr] adj. 古怪的; 奇异的

More Information

单词发音

mob [mɑb] n.【贬】民众，大众

bustling [ˋbʌs!ɪŋ] adj. 繁忙的; 热闹的

ring out 突然响起 [for a loud sound] to go out

pajamas [pəˋdʒæməs] n.（宽大的）睡衣裤

wield [wild] v. 挥舞

hearty [ˋhɑrtɪ] adj. 尽情的，痛快的

sound [saʊnd] v. 响起

onlooker [ˋɑn͵lʊkɚ] n. 观众；旁观者

glitzy [ˋglɪtsɪ] adj. 华丽的；光彩夺目的

break into 突然开始(大笑、唱歌、欢呼等) to begin suddenly to do something

thunderous [ˋθʌndərəs] adj. 响声极大的; 雷鸣般的

appeal [əˋpil] n. 吸引力，感染力

randomness [ˋrændəmnɪs] n. 随意；无安排；无目的

the very size of 极具规模的

validate [ˋvælə͵det] v. 证明…有价值; 认可

testament [ˋtɛstəmənt] n. 证明

Answer