CARS 12

critique

a written examination and judgment of a situation or of a person's work or ideas.

crisis

a decisive, unstable, or highly dangerous situation requiring immediate attention

a host of

a large number, multitude, or great variety of people, things, or ideas.

loan-sharking

the illegal practice of lending money at exorbitant or un-usurious interest rates

prevailing

most frequent, widespread, or generally accepted at a particular time and place

fly in the face of

to act in direct opposition to, or brazen defiance of, accepted rules, common sense, or established facts.

collateral

an asset of value—such as a home, car, or savings account—pledged by a borrower to a lender to secure a loan