VOA标准英语2011--Egyptians Flood Tahrir Square for Massiv

A huge crowd has gathered in central Cairo calling for President Hosni Mubarak to step down. The opposition¹ has called for one million people to protest.
Crowds headed on foot for Cairo's Tahrir Square throughout the day Tuesday. They included women with babies in strollers.
Their confidence is boosted after the army, in an official statement, described the demonstrations² as legitimate³ and promised it would not fire on demonstrators. Army helicopters dropped leaflets calling on demonstrators to keep the protests peaceful.
The demonstrators' message is a clear one and their hopes are growing for changes in a country where the same man has ruled for nearly 30 years.
"We want to change the system, we want new alterations⁴. The army must be with us, the army must be with us not against us. The army must be with us, not against us," said a protester.
The army enjoys respect among Egyptians, among other reasons because it has no history of attacking its own people.
It was unclear how soldiers might react if some of the demonstrators made good on their promises to march on the president's residence.
Train service remains⁵ suspended for a second day in a bid by the government to discourage demonstrators from coming to the capital to protest. Internet service has been down since the first day of the protest more than a week ago.
The atmosphere in the early hours of Tuesday's anti-government rally was friendly. It was a different scene from last Friday when scores of people were killed and hundreds injured in clashes with police. Throughout the downtown area the scars remain, with some buildings burned and looted. The towering headquarters of Mr. Mubarak's party is now nothing more than a burnt hulk along the Nile River.
Across Cairo, hundreds of young men are manning checkpoints to prevent looting. One vigilante told VOA he wants to see change in his country but does not want it destroyed in the process.
A big question that remains is what kind of state will emerge, if and when, Mr. Mubarak leaves power. Already there are disagreements within the opposition on whether Egypt should simply make democratic reforms or eventually become an Islamist state.
Supporters of President Mubarak interviewed on the streets in Cairo called for him to stay in power. Hundreds gathered in support of Mr. Mubarak at a separate rally.
Thousands of foreigners as well as Egyptian nationals trying to leave Egypt remain stranded⁶ at Cairo's airport as airlines continue to cancel flights.

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

3 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

4 alterations   

n.改动( alteration的名词复数 )；更改；变化；改变

参考例句：

• Any alterations should be written in neatly to the left side. 改动部分应书写清晰，插在正文的左侧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code. 基因突变是指DNA 密码的改变。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。