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  3. How badly has the great recession struck America? The headline jobless figure of 9.5% is bad enough but does not begin to convey

How badly has the great recession struck America? The headline jobless figure of 9.5% is bad enough but does not begin to convey

admin2012-05-28  22
问题     How badly has the great recession struck America? The headline jobless figure of 9.5% is bad enough but does not begin to convey the problem as it fails to measure those who have stopped looking for work. Over the past three months alone more than a million Americans have fallen into that category: effectively giving up hope of finding a job and dropping out of the official statistics. Such cases now number some 5.9 million and their ranks are likely to grow.
    There is a new name for those falling down the black hole of joblessness that has opened up in America’s economy, the 99ers, a moniker (绰号) no one wants. It refers to the 99 weeks of benefits that the jobless can qualify for in America. Government cash helps those laid off keep a tenuous (贫乏的) grip on a normal life. It keeps a roof over their heads, pays a phone bill, puts food on a table and petrol in a car. But once the 99 weeks are up the payments stop—as is happening now for millions of people—and they are 99ers. For many, that moment represents the moment of destitution.
    But who are they? Despite political attempts to paint them as feckless or job-shy, they are usually anything but. The 99ers are people like Anne Strauss, 58, who spent 35 years working as a public relationship professional. Despite spending every day hunting for work, she has not had a job since June 2008. She and her husband are now living on credit cards watching debts mount as they stare into the abyss (无底洞). "Looking for a job is the hardest I have ever worked," she said with a smile that conveyed no humor or happiness, only the deep stress that is common to many 99ers.
    Meeting 99ers is to tap into a deep well of anger at lives that have been knocked off course, shattering the enduring vision of the American dream that many had felt they had achieved. Just take Donna Faiella, a 53-year-old New Yorker who spent 28 years working in film post-production and video-editing. She was successful and had a career. Now she is desperate for a job, any job. But she cannot find one. "I will do anything. I will sweep floors." Joblessness has eaten away at her sense of identity. "I feel like we are worthless. We are lost in the world." With one week of benefits to go, her 99 weeks will be up. She will be a 99er.
For many people who are laid off, the moment that the 99 weeks end means______.
选项
答案the moment of destitution
解析 细节辨认题。本题考查“99周人”对即将失去失业救济的感受。定位句明确指出，一旦过完99周，救济就没有了。因此，99周过完的那一刻代表着赤贫。
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