The Great Depression of the 1930s was the most momentous(重大的，重要的)economic event of the 20th century. It was a direct cause of World War II, having fed the Nazis’ rise in Germany. It inspired a new American welfare system as a response to mass misery. Everywhere, it discredited unsupervised capitalism. Given today’s economic crisis, our renewed fascination with the Depression is natural. But we ought to be cautious in stretching the parallels too far. It’s worth recalling how exceptional the Depression was. As Liaquat Ahamed writes in his engrossing (引人入胜的，使人着迷的) "Lords of Finance": "During a three -year period, real GDP [ gross domestic product ] in the major economies fell by over 25 percent, a quarter of the adult male population was thrown out of work...The economic turmoil created hardships in every corner of the globe, from the prairies of Canada to the crowded cities of Asi
a. " What does the author mean by" exceptional" A. The Depression was different from other economic depressions.B. No other economic crises are comparable to the Depression in terms of consequences.C. There are no parallels between the present economic crisis and the Depression.D. The fascination aroused by the Depression lasted all the way to today.