Katharine Graham, once described as "the most powerful woman in America", was the owner and publisher of The Washington Post newspaper. Under her leadership, it became one of the most important newspapers in the country.

Katharine Graham was born in New York in 1917. Graduating from the University of Chicago in 1938, Katharine got a job as a reporter for a newspaper in San Francisco, California. In 1933, Katharine's father bought a failing newspaper, The Washington Post. It was the least successful of five newspapers in Washington.

Soon Katharine returned to Washington and got a job editing letters to the editor of her father's newspaper. In 1946, her husband Philip Graham became publisher of The Washington Post. When she was 46, her husband died, leaving Katharine Graham four children to raise and a newspaper to operate.

At first, she was concerned only with finding a way to keep control of The Washington Post until her sons were old enough to lead it. She had no training in business or experience in operating a large company and decided to learn. She hired excellent reporters and editors. In 1969, she became publisher as well as president of The Washington Post company. In the 1970s, The Washington Post became famous around the world. Katharine Graham also played an important role in supporting women by employing more of them. When she was eighty years old, Katharine Graham wrote a very popular book called Personal History about her life, which won a Pulitzer Prize for biography in 1998. Friends of Katharine Graham said she used her intelligence and bravery to improve the American media.

1Katharine Graham first worked as _______________.

A. a reporter B. an editor

C. a publisher D. a manager

答案A

解析细节理解题。由第二段第二句可知, 凯瑟琳•格雷厄姆的第一份工作是报社记者。

2When Katharine's father bought The Washington Post, _______________.

A. it had been in business for a short time

B. it was one of the largest newspapers in the US

C. it was in a difficult situation

D. it had enjoyed great success and fame

答案C

解析细节理解题。由第二段第三句可知, 当凯瑟琳的父亲购买《华盛顿邮报》时, 它的处境十分艰难。

3The most difficult time for Katharine came when _______________.

A. her father died