单选题 By saying that the U.S. "was now able to take its place among the arbiters of the world' s destinies" (the second sentence in paragraph 1), the author means that the U.S. ______.

A、 established itself as one of the big powers
B、 was now directing the world on a new course
C、 became mature as a nation
D、 brought new rules to the world' s diplomatic play

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】这半句可直译为：“这时在世界命运的裁决者中间占有一席之地”。第一段第一句提到，美国在19世纪和20世纪之交成为一个强国(a great power)。所以，这半句就指美国成为强国这一事实。B意为：“现在正在将世界引向一个新的道路”：C意为：“成为一个成熟的国家”；D意为：“给世界的外交游戏带来了新规则”。这里，play一词当然是用作比喻。