阅读理解 Barack Obama spent much time on the campaign trail proposing a dramatic vision to change not only the United States for the better, but also the world. The candidate outlined a new, multilateral global order with America still leading, particularly regarding hard power, but sharing more burdens with others. There was a strong "anything but Bush" flavor in many of Obama's campaign-trail foreign policies, such as his opposition to the Iraq war, his willingness to pragmatically negotiate with dictators, and his emphasis on a multilateral dimension to American foreign policy. He wanted—at least rhetorically—to bend the arc of history towards justice, freedom, progress, and prosperity.
Has he fulfilled his vision during his first three years in the Oval Office? That is the question addressed by Bending History, a new book that offers a timely and insightful analysis of Obama's foreign policy performance and what he could do if he wins a second term.
Although national interests have been fairly well protected, the authors believe that Obama's first three years in the Oval Office are defined by a considerable gap between his vision and his record. Despite limited success, the president has not yet bent history in any major way, especially when measured against his own standards.
Importantly, the authors argue that robust and strategic foreign policy cannot be achieved without having one's domestic affairs in order. Sadly, according to the authors, America has not done what it should to sustain its future global primacy. The country has been disinvesting in infrastructure and education, walking away from a serious program for clean energy, failing to address social divisions, and making merely partial fixes to the financial system that produced the crisis of 2008. Whoever occupies the Oval Office come 2013, Obama's foreign policy successes will matter little if the economy fails to sustain American power.
The authors conclude that Obama's foreign policy to date has been more pragmatic than visionary. It suggests no clear road map for the future, no particularly compelling overall strategy for how the president would advance American interests and bend history in a second term. Obama's accomplishments should be better understood as effective damage control than historic breakthroughs.
Overall the book's analysis is compelling, although more attention might have been paid to the president's own role as a political leader and a strategic thinker. But all things considered, Bending History does a superb job of detailing what happened during the first three years of Obama's presidency. It provides a timely and insightful analysis worth reading for anyone interested in U.S. foreign policy.

单选题 26.By " There was a strong ' anything but Bush' flavor in many of Obama's campaign-trail foreign policies" , the author implies that______.

单选题 27.The term "bent" (Paragraph 3) denotes______.

单选题 28.What, in paragraph 4, is stressed by the writer of the text?

单选题 29.According to the text, the book's analysis might be improved if______.

单选题 30.The text appears to be a digest of______.