Mahmoud Abbas was elected Palestinian Authority president by a wide margin Sunday, exit polls showed, giving him a decisive mandate(提示，委任契约)to renew peace talks with Israel, and try to end more than four years of Mideast bloodshed．
The victory of Abbas, who has spoken out against violence and has the backing of the international community, was expected to usher in(引进)a new era, after four decades of rule by Yasser Arafat who died Nov．11．
Abbas, popularly known as Abu Mazen, has promised to reform the Palestinian Authority, reform the Palestinian security services and quickly continue negotiations with Israel, stalled(陷入僵局)for four years．
Abbas’s political objectives are the same as Arafat’s: a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, and a solution for Palestinian refugees and their descendants．
US President Bush, who has said a resumption of peace talks must be accompanied by sweeping Palestinian reforms, called Abbas'election“a historic day for the Palestinian people”．
“Palestinians throughout the West Bank and Gaza took a key step toward building a democratic future by choosing a new president in elections that observers describe as largely free and fair,”Bush said in a statement issued two hours after polls closed．
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon expects to meet with Abbas soon, his aide said．Israeli officials said that in a gesture to Abbas, Israel plans to release some of the more than 7,000 Palestinian prisoners, provided Abbas stop militants(好战者)from firing rockets at Israeli towns．
“I think this vote shows a change in the Palestinian street, moving away from support of violence,”said Sharon aide Raanan Gissin．
“We hope that from this mandate AbuMazen will lead the Palestinian people on the path of reconciliation(和解),”he added．
(1)
Which of the following is TRUE of Mahmoud Abbas?
[ ]
A．
He defeated his opponent(对手)easily in the presidential election．
B．
He is in favour of violence．
C．
He lacks the support of the international community．
D．
Yasser Arafat appointed(任命)him as Palestinian president．
(2)
One of the political aims Abbas has in common with Arafat is ________．
[ ]
A．
to reform the Palestinian Authority
B．
to set up a Palestinian state
C．
to quickly continue the peace talk with Israel
D．
to reform the Palestinian security services
(3)
What is Israeli attitude toward Abbas'election?
[ ]
A．
Welcome．
B．
Opposition．
C．
Neither welcome nor opposition．
D．
We don’t know．
(4)
What does the underlined word“release”mean in the passage?
