CCTV9英语新闻：美国参议院确认耶伦将出任美联储主席（在线收听）

The U.S. Senate has approved Janet Yellen as the next head of the Federal Reserve, to replace the outgoing Fed chairman Ben Bernanke, whose term ends at the end of this month.

It is official. Janet Yellen will be the next Fed Chairman - and the first woman to head the U.S. central bank in its 100 year history.

Her challenges are unprecedented, says Professor Mark Thoma of the University of Oregon.

"Bernanke faced a lot of the similar challenges when he took over so I think that it’s very similar in that regard but he was mainly managing the downturn and trying to get the economy turning around, and she is managing the landing that we are going to have and trying to make that as smooth as possible," Thoma said.

"I can’t think of another Fed chair that has faced challenges that are as important and as big as she is facing right now."

Specifically, winding down the Fed's extreme bond buying program, which the Fed is starting to taper this month.

Yellen takes over from Bernanke when his second four-year term ends on January 31st.