English Quiz 146

(English Quiz 146)

1. So is there an overriding strategic goal beyond spreading democracy? Does the Administration have a framework for dealing with the most immediate challenges it confronts--civil war in Iraq, a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan and the swelling influence of Iran? Put simply, do Bush and Rice know where they're going? The answers aren't readily apparent. Bush's decision to send more troops to Iraq and Afghanistan means both wars will continue to consume the bulk of the U.S.'s military resources, to say nothing of the mental energies of the President's lieutenants in Washington. Although Defense Secretary Robert Gates has hinted that the increase in troop strength in Iraq may last only until the summer, the Administration rejects the idea of setting any firm limits on the U.S. commitment there. Says Rice: "This is going to happen over a period of time ... It's not as if there's a cutoff point, because that's not how it's going to unfold." And it's hard to imagine a significant decrease in U.S. troop presence in Iraq before the end of Bush's term.

Q: 試翻 "So is there an overriding strategic goal beyond spreading democracy?"

2. A former director of Chevron whose reading includes the financial press and oil- and gas-industry journals, she has personally overseen the Administration's campaign to persuade financial institutions in Europe and the Arab world to halt the flow of capital to Iran's oil sector. The idea is that through a combination of moves--projecting military muscle, squeezing Iran's oil lifeline and securing U.N. Security Council sanctions against Tehran's nuclear industry--the U.S. can drain Ahmadinejad's popular support and force the mullahs to bend to international demands to stop enriching uranium, the first step to a nuclear bomb.

Q: 試翻 "The idea is that ... a nuclear bomb."

3. Whether Rice can steer the U.S. away from a military confrontation with Tehran is one of the two big challenges that will define the final years of her tenure--and the legacy she leaves for her successor. The other is even more daunting: making peace in the Middle East. Those who have spoken to her say her determination to seek a comprehensive settlement between Israel and the Palestinians is real. A senior Arab official says that on her trip to the region last month, Rice pledged to help set up a Palestinian state by the end of Bush's term. According to this same official, Bush phoned the Kings of Jordan and Saudi Arabia to tell them Rice was coming with a commitment to solve the Palestinian issue. "There is a shift. There is no doubt about that," says an Arab official. "But how deep, how strong this effort is going to be--it's too early to tell." The first test will come later this month, when Rice plans to convene a summit in Jerusalem between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Q: 試翻 "Those who have spoken ... is real."