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

Change Has Come to America
November, 04, 2008, Barack Obama
Hello, Chicago.
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen.
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Sen. McCain. Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.
I congratulate him; I congratulate Gov. Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama.
Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House.
To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.
And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.
To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way.
To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.
【小题1】 Why did Sen. McCain make a phone call to the writer?

A.To inform the writer of something important.
B.To share his happiness with the writer.
C.To congratulate the writer on his success.
D.To give him some good ideas on making a successful speech..
【小题2】  If Sen. McCain won the election, What would Palin do?
A.She would be a governor.
B.She would be the vice president-elect of the United States.
C.She would be the nation's next first lady.
D.She would be the campaign manager of Sen. McCain’s.
【小题3】 How many people did the writer thank in his speech?
A.5B.6C.7D.8
【小题4】 What did the writer imply by saying “I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to?”
A.He is a failure rather than a success.
B.He still doesn’t know who this victory truly belongs to.
C.He thinks highly of his supporters.
D.He considers his success as people’s victory.

Helen Thomas, born on August 4, 1920, is a famous news reporter, a Hearst Newspapers columnist, and member of the White House Press Corps. She served for fifty-seven years as a correspondent and White House bureau chief for United Press International (UPI). She is called “First Lady of the Press”.
Born in Kentucky, Helen Thomas was raised in Detroit, Michigan where she attended public schools and later graduated from Wayne State University. Upon leaving college, Helen served as a copy girl in an old company in Washington. In 1943, Ms. Thomas joined United Press International and the Washington Press Corps. Thomas served as president of the Women’s National Press Club from 1959 to 1960.
In November, Helen began covering then President-elect John F. Kennedy, following him to the White House in January 1961 as a UPI correspondent. She later became White House Bureau Chief for UPI, where she was employed until her resignation on May 17, 2000. Thomas then became a White House correspondent and columnist.
Thomas was the only woman journalist traveling with then President Nixon to China in January, 1972. She has traveled around the world several times with Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton, during the course of which she covered every Economic Summit. The World Almanac has cited her as one of the 25 Most Influential Women in America. 
On March 21, 2006, Thomas was called upon directly by President Bush for the first time in three years. Thomas asked Bush about Iraq. Helen Thomas has written four books and she is also a popular speaker at events nationwide. 
【小题1】What’s the correct order of the events?
a. Thomas joined the UPI and the Washington Press Corps.
b. Thomas traveled with President Nixon to China.
c. Thomas served as president of the Women’s National Press Club.
d. Thomas resigned.
e. Thomas was called upon by President Bush.
f. Thomas became a White House correspondent and a columnist.

A.a, b, c, d, e, fB.a, c, b, d, f, eC.a, c, b, d, e, fD.a, d, e, f, c, b
【小题2】Which of the following is NOT true?
A.Thomas made speeches about events nationwide.
B.Thomas has written four books.
C.Thomas covered every Economic Summit when traveling with US presidents.
D.Thomas became a correspondent after she graduated from the university.
【小题3】From the passage, we can conclude that Thomas is a _____ woman.
A.courageousB.ambitiousC.successfulD.stubborn
【小题4】After reading the passage it can be inferred that ___.
A.Thomas worked in the White House for 57 years.
B.Thomas is the most influential woman in America
C.President Bush received Thomas once in his term.
D.Thomas has traveled around the world with Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton.
【小题5】What’s the best title of the passage?
A.The First Lady of the Press—Helen Thomas
B.A Successful News Reporter—Helen Thomas
C.Life Experience of Helen Thomas
D.Helen Thomas and Her Career

Italy is one country where beauty is prized more than any other virtue. That is, except in the small town of Piobbico, the self-declared World Capital of Ugly People. The road sign at the edge of the town even warns visitors that they are entering the ugly zone. People who consider themselves ugly have been gathering in Piobbico since the 1960s. That’s when Ugly Club president Telesforo Lacobelli established a dating agency for women who believed they were too ugly to attract husbands. Lacobelli believes that he is ugly himself because he has a short nose in a country where long or large noses have always been considered beautiful.

? People from around the world travel to Piobbico to tell their sad stories of ugliness. During the annual Festival of the Ugly, which occurs on the first Sunday of every September, hundreds of people gather in Piobbico’s town square to elect the president of the Ugly Club. Lacobelli wins the election every year. The Ugly Club has over 20, 000 members. They carry ID cards that grade their ugliness from bearable to extreme. A prize is awarded to Ugly Club members who qualify as extremely ugly.

? The Ugly Club president insists that ugliness is a virtue. Since beautiful people get a lot of attention for their beauty alone, they have to work hard to prove their other virtues. Ugly people, on the other hand, are genuine and do not have to prove anything to anybody, according to Lacobelli.

? Lacobelli is a spokesperson for ugly people everywhere. He believes that the uglier one is, the better life can be. Though the club enjoys making fun of beauty, especially beauty contests, Lacobelli has a serious side as well. He believes that too many people suffer from financial and emotional pressures because they don’t meet society’s standards of beauty. The fact that beautiful people are more successful in the workforce is a problem that Lacobelli has attempted to bring forward to the Italian public and government.

1.Piobbico is rather special in that????? .

A. it is a very small town?????? B. it is home to ugly people

C. it receives no visitors?????? D. it is the capital of Italy

2.Why is Lacobelli elected the president of the Ugly Club every year?

A. Because he is the ugliest person in the whole world.

B. Because his ugliness is always graded as bearable.

C. Because he is a spokesperson for ugly people everywhere.

D. Because he has won the members’ trust and admiration.

3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Ugly people are most respected in Italy.

B. The Festival of the Ugly is held every two years.

C. Ugly people are unfairly treated in society.

D. The uglier one is, the better life he or she lives.

4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A. The Ugly Capital of the World????? B. The Ugliest Person of the World

C. Festival of the Ugly????? D. Beauty Contests Should be Banned

 

The campaign(竞选)is over. The celebrations have ended. And the work for US president-elect Barack Obama has begun.

 The 47-year-old politician rose to the highest post because of his stand against the war in Iraq and his plans to fix a weak economy. But what will the first 47-year-old African-American president do for race relations?

 Obama’s victory appears to have given blacks and other minorities(少数民族)a true national role model. For years, many looked to athletes and musicians for inspiration. As Darius Turner, an African-American high school student in Los Angeles, told the Los Angeles Times, “Kobe doesn’t have to be everybody’s role model anymore.”

 However, Bill Bank, an expert of African-American Studies, says that eventually young blacks need to find role models in their own communities. “That’s not Martin Luther King, and not Barack Obama,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “It’s actually the people closest to them. Barack only has so much influence. ”

 In the opinion of black British politician Trevor Phillips, Obama’s rise will contribute more to multiculturalism than to race relations in the US.

    “When the G8 meets, the four most important people in the room will be the president of China, the prime minister of India, the prime minister of Japan and Barak Obama,” he told London’s The Times newspaper. “It will be the first time we’ve seen that on our television screens. That will be a huge psychological shift(心理转变)for both the white people and the colored ones in the world. ”

1. For years, before Obama was elected president of the US, __________.

 A. Kobe was the only role model for all the blacks

 B. blacks could only find role models on the basketball court

 C. minorities in America couldn’t find role models in their real life

 D. American blacks had no role model who was successful in political area

2.According to Bill Bank, ____________.

 A. it’s better for young blacks to find role models in those who are close to them

 B. young blacks should not be so much influenced by Obama

 C. blacks should find other role models because Obama is far from their reality

 D. Obama is not the proper role model for African-Americans

3.What would be the best title for this passage?

 A. The First African-American President   B. America’s New Role Model

 C. Obama-- A Successful Black.            D. Choosing a Right Role Model

4.What will be the huge psychological shift Trevor mentioned at the end of the passage?

 A. The other three leaders all support Obama.

 B. Obama is an African-American president.

 C. None of the four leaders is white.

 D. The other three leaders except Obama are from Asian countries.

 

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