BBC news 2009-06-03 加文本

1.Opposition parties in Britain have renewed their demands for the embattled Prime Minister Gordon Brown to call a general election after it emerged that the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and several other Labour figures are to stand down.

stand down离开证人席, 退出, 顺潮航行

例句：The secretary is proposing to stand down in favour of a younger man.
      这位大臣打算辞职，让位给一个比较年轻的人。

2.She is to step down in the cabinet reshuffle expected next week, following local and European elections.

step down退位

例句：The revolutionary force forced the emperor to step down.
      革命军催迫皇帝退位。

3.Several American banks which were bailed out by taxpayers' money have issued shares in an attempt to extricate themselves from government oversight.

in an attempt to力图, 试图，做目的状语

例句：Some things are collected deliberately in the home in an attempt to avoid waste.
      居家度日，有目的地收藏某些东西是为了防止浪费。

动词形式attempt to

例句：Carl attempted to save the company from the bankruptcy, but he failed.
      卡尔为了挽救公司不致破产，进行了大胆的尝试，但没能成功。