Barack Obama made his victory speech in Chicago after a hard-fought campaign.
Democratic Senator Barack Obama has won the US presidential election, and will become the 44th President of the United States-the first African-American in the country's history to do so.
President-elect Obama marked his victory with a speech to a crowd of tens of thousands of people in his hometown of Chicago.
Obama described his election as a "defining moment' in the history of the United States, saying that "change has come to America".
The BBC's spokesman in Washington says that in electing Barack Obama, the American people have expressed their unhappiness with the present state and rejected their country's historical racial divisions.
The Australian Prime Minister summed up how many people felt when he congratulated President-elect Obama.
“Forty-five years ago Martin Luther King had a dream of an America where men and women would be judged not on the colour of their skin but on the content of their character. Today what America has done is turn that dream into a reality," said Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
President-elect Obama will not take office until 20th January next year. However, when he does become president, he will face many serious challenges, including two foreign wars, climate change and what he has described as " the worst financial crisis （经济危机）in a century."
But the mood of the country is optimistic, according to most commentators, and Obama himself appears to enjoy the challenge.
"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be difficult. We may not get there in one year or even in one term, but America--I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there," said the next President of the United States.
41. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. It was not a difficult process for Obama to win the US presidential election.
B. The American people welcome the historical racial divisions.
C. What Martin Luther King dreamed about America has come true.
D. After the election Obama didn't say anything about his victory.
42. According to the passage, it seems that in the United States, _____________.
A. people may still be treated unequally because of their color of skin.
B. people are experiencing two civil wars.
C. Americans are enjoying the economy developing.
D. People are not satisfied with President-elect.
43. From the last two paragraphs, we can learn that________________.
A. the attitude of American people to their country's future is not clear.
B. Obama has confidence in American future and ready to face it.
C. the road to America will be long.
D. the change of America is not hard to achieve.
44. What is probably the best title to the passage?
A. Historical presidential election                          B. The first African-American President
C. Change has come                                            D. Comments about America