閱讀理解Next American President
Back in 1969，US President Richard Nixon confidently predicted：“In the next 50 years，we shall see a woman president，perhaps sooner than you think1.”
Today，not too far off Nixon’s deadline，America is looking at that possibility. Over the weekend，Hillary Rodham Clinton，wife of former president Bill Clinton，announced her run for 2008 presidency.
US polls indicate that Americans feel comfortable with a female president. A New York Times survey found nearly all Americans saying they would vote for president if she were qualified.
However，accepting the theoretical notion of a female leader is quite different from voting an actual woman. In fact，there is still widespread distrust of a woman in the top position.
This is partly due to the biased thinking that women are weak on national security，though they might be strong on education and health care. This damages their prospects as a presidential contender.
“There’s still an inherent nervousness on the part of voters putting a woman in as the ultimate decision-maker. Control of the army and border security are sorts of traditionally male jobs，” commented Amy Walter，an American campaign analyst. “That’s where！ think voters consciously or unconsciously have difficulties with women candidates.”
Women have held the top job in other major Western countries. In 1979，Britain elected Margaret Thatcher prime minister 。Last year，Germany made Angela Merkel its first female chancellor.
In the US，no woman has succeeded in being nominated as a presidential candidate. One woman did make the attempt：Elizabeth Dole. In 1999，she tried to get the Republican Party nomination. But Dole could only raise $ 5 million for her bid-compared with the $ 56 million George W. Bush raised.
So Barriers lie ahead for Hillary if she wants to make history by becoming the first female US president. With the Iraqi war underway，she’ll find it even harder.
“I don’t feel that our society is ready for a woman president. The enemy we face does not respect females the same way we have come to see them as equals. If we were not in this war，I would support a woman president2，”said Chris Dildy，a computer engineering student.
詞匯：
bias [bai？s] v.& n.(有)偏見 analyst [æn？list] n.分析工作者
chancellor [t∫ɑ：ns？l？] n.(德國、奧地利等)總理
注釋：
1. “In the next 50 years，we shall see a woman president，perhaps sooner than you think.”在下一個五十里，我們將會看見一個女總理，或許比我們想的要快些。
2．If we were not in this war，I would support a woman president.如果我們不在打一場戰爭，我會支持選一位女總統的。意思也就是說，現在不支持。
練習：
1. Up to the present，no woman has been elected president in the US.(一段，二段)
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
2. Bill Clinton will strongly support Hillary to run for the 2008 presidency. (二段)
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
3. American people will elect a woman president of the United States in 2008. (四段)
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
4. One of Hillary’s campaign promises is to reform the nation’s health care system. (五段)
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
5. Germans elected a woman chancellor last year. (七段)
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
6. Hillary has already raised a large amount of campaign fund. (八段)
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
7. Chris Dildy will vote for Hillary. (最后一段)
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
答案與題解：
1.A 句子說的是：迄今為止在美國沒有一個女人選舉為總統。選A.文章的第一個句子是這么說的：Backin 1969，US President Richard Nixon confidently predicted：“In the next 50 years，we shall see a woman president，perhaps sooner than you think.”早在1969年，美國總統Richard Nixon很有信心地預測：“在下一個五十年里，我們將會看見一個女總統，或許比我們想的要快些。”
2.C 句子說的是：Bill Clinton將強力支持Hillary參加2008年總統選舉。文章沒有提到。因此選C.
3.B 句子說的是：美國人民在2008年將選一位女總統。這個命題是錯的。文章第四段是這么說的：However，accepting the theoretical notion of a female leader is quite different from voting an actual woman. In fact，there is still widespread distrust of a woman in the top position.然而，接受女總統作為一個理論概念跟選舉女總統是兩回事。事實上，人們仍然普遍不信任女人能任領袖的。
4.C 句子說的是：Hillary的一個競選許諾是改革國家的醫療制度。文章講到女人做教育和醫療方面的工作有優勢，但沒說Hillary的一個競選許諾是改革國家的醫療制度。
5.A 句子說的是：德國去年選了一個女總理。文章第七段有這么一句話：Last year，Germany made Angela Merkel its first female chancellor.去年，德國選舉了Angela Merkel為德國第一位女總理。因此句子表達的命題是正確的。
6.C 句子說的是：Hillary已經籌集到了一大筆競選款。文章沒有提到。
7.B 句子說的是：Chris Dildy要投Hillary的票。從文章的最后一句話我們知道Chris Dildy是一個計算機工程專業的學生，他說了這么一句話：If we were not in this war，I would support a woman president.如果我們不在打一場戰爭，我會支持選一位女總統的。意思也就是說，現在不支持。