Background information: this passage comes from a united nations report about the economic impact of the fall of communism. the fall in formal sector employment has had important -- usually negative -- consequences for the people concerned. it has frequently led to a decline in individual and family income, social exclusion, and a worsening of the life chances of their children. . the decline in employment has disproportionately affected women. in general, the decline in female employment has been larger -- in some cases very much larger -- than the decline in male employment. for example, in the czech republic, between 1985 and 1997, the decline in female employment (11.8 per cent) was almost 10 times the decline in male employment (1.2 per cent). which of these statements is supported by information in the text?
a. the employment rate of a nation also has social consequences.
b. the employment rate of a nation only affects its female population.
c. the employment rate of a nation only affects its male population.
d. the czech republic was more negatively affected than any other country.

An employee of the state government always received his state paycheck on the last workday of the month. the employee was not a good money manager, and just barely managed to make it from paycheck to paycheck each month. on the second to the last workday of the month, the employee had $45 in his checking account, and, needing to buy a birthday gift for his sister, he wrote a check to a gift boutique for $100. he knew that he would be receiving his paycheck the next day, so he could deposit the paycheck before the check would be sent to the bank. however, unbeknownst to the employee, the state legislature was having a budget impasse. because the state constitution prohibited any deficit spending, state employees were not paid as usual. without a paycheck to deposit, the check written to the gift boutique was returned for insufficient funds. the merchant complained to the police, who arrested the employee and charged him under a statute that prohibited "issuing a check knowing that it is drawn against insufficient funds, with intent to defraud the payee of the check."what should be the outcome of the employee's prosecution? a not guilty, because the employee intended to deposit his paycheck the next day. b not guilty, because it was reasonable for the employee to expect that he would receive his paycheck as usual. c guilty, because the employee knew when he wrote the check that he did not have sufficient funds in his account to honor it. d guilty, because reliance on a future source of income does not vitiate the employee's violation of the statute when he wrote the check.