Thousand protesters attempt to oust Yemeni president

    SANAA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Nearly one thousand Yemeni protesters(抗议者) gathered Saturday inside and outside Sanaa University in the capital（首都） to call for a "Jasmine revolution" against their president who has been in power for 32 years.
    The demonstrators, including students and opposition¹ activists², chanted slogans, demanding the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
    The growing popular protests have taken place in major Yemeni cities for seven days since the Tunisians overthrew³ their president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
    "Oh Ali, join your friend Ben Ali," the crowds chanted.
    One of the protesters, Shajie Muhsin, told Xinhua that "after Tunisia, the second Jasmine revolution will take place in Yemen."Another demonstrator said, "we will make the revolution, we will make it."The police managed to disperse⁴ the protesters without any clash.
    Earlier, official Saba news agency reported that Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh named a new minister on Saturday in a partial reshuffle.
    President Saleh replaced Minister of Industry and Trade Yahya al-Mutawakil with Deputy Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Hisham Sharaf Abdullah, according to a republican decree.
    Besides protest against proposed constitutional amendments⁵ that could make Saleh the country's president for life, the protesters also demand the government curb⁶ increasing commodity and fuel prices.（本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑）

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 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 overthrew   

overthrow的过去式

参考例句：

• The people finally rose up and overthrew the reactionary regime. 人们终于起来把反动的政权推翻了。
• They overthrew their King. 他们推翻了国王。

4 disperse   

vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散

参考例句：

• The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
• The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。

5 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

6 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。