The American economy is built on credit. In the last decade, however, cheap credit made it too easy for people to buy houses based on pure speculation that real estate value would endlessly continue to increase. But the housing 1)________ set off a chain reaction in our economy. Individuals and investors could no longer resell their homes for a quick profit, 2)________ no longer became affordable for many homeowners, and thousands of mortgages defaulted (违约), leaving investors and financial institutions to face the terrible consequences.Ironic, isn't it? Yes, it is true that credit got us into this mess, but it is also true that our economy is 3)________ unstable right now, and being that it is built on credit, it needs an inflow of cash or it could come 4)________ down. This is something no one wants to see as it would 5)________ through our economy and into the world markets in a matter of hours, potentially causing a worldwide recession.Credit in and of itself is not a bad thing. Credit 6)________ growth and jobs. Poor use of credit, however, can be 7)________, which is what we are on the 8)________ of seeing now. So long as the rescue plan comes with changes to lending regulations and more 9)________ of the industry, there is potential to 10)________ the market, which is what everyone wants. Whether or not it works is to be seen, but as it has already been voted on and passed, we should all hope it does.