VOA慢速英语:20 Years After the Soviet Union, Renewed Calls for Political Reform

短语讲解：

1. His reforms included loosening press restrictions and releasing political prisoners and dissidents from jail and exile within the country.

release from把…从…解脱出来
例句：You can be released from prison early for good behavior.
你可以因表现好提前释放。

2. Russia has made major economic progress since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Incomes have increased sharply.

make progress前进,进步
例句：The boy has made great progress this year.
这男孩今年进步很大。

3. But twenty years after demonstrations against communism, Russians are again taking to the streets.

take to开始从事
例句：He gave up medicine and took to literature.
他放弃医学, 开始从事文学。

4. We even had a meeting to figure out how to assure the supply of bread and milk for the city.

figure out计算出; 解决;想出
例句：Could you help me figure out this problem?
你能帮我解决这问题吗?

5. But democratic institutions have not kept up.

keep up保持，维持；继续，坚持
例句：Their spirits kept up well in spite of setbacks.
尽管遭受挫折, 他们的热情不减。

6. Government is still vertical, it is not controlled by the society and in essence, despite all the changes, is built the same way it was built in the Soviet Union.

in essence在本质上
例句：These two matters are different in essence.
这两件事有本质上的区别。

7. Former president and current prime minister, Vladimir Putin is expected to win. Russian President Medvedev is stepping down to make way for Mr. Putin’s candidacy.

be expected to预计
例句：The death toll is expected to rise.
预计死亡人数还会增加。
step down辞职，下台
例句：The manager had to step down on account of poor health.
那位经理由于身体不好, 只能辞职不干。
make way for让路给;为…开路
例句：Your project will have to make way for the main project.
你们的工程得给重点工程让路。

8. They want to throw out the results and hold a new vote.

throw out拒绝; 否决
例句：The suggestion was made at the conference, but they threw it out.
这个建议在会上提出来了, 但他们不予考虑。