Meaning: 'Strenuously' means with great effort or exertion, indicating that the rise in employment is not just normal but requires considerable effort.

Wrong options:

• normally: 'Normally' suggests a typical or usual manner, which does not convey the intensity of the rise in employment post-crisis.
• conversely: 'Conversely' indicates a contrast, which does not apply here as the sentence describes a positive trend rather than a contrasting situation.
• sharply: 'Sharply' implies a sudden or steep increase, which could fit but lacks the connotation of effort that 'strenuously' provides.

Correct answer: begins

Explanation: The verb 'begins' is in the present tense, which is appropriate here as it indicates an ongoing action that aligns with the recovery process of the market. This fits grammatically and contextually, as it describes the start of the market's recovery.

Meaning: 'Begins' means to start or commence, indicating that the market is starting to recover after the crisis.

Wrong options:

• behalf: 'Behalf' is a noun that does not fit grammatically in this context, as it cannot serve as a verb to describe market actions.
• signs: 'Signs' is a noun and does not fit grammatically as it does not convey an action that the market is taking.
• simple: 'Simple' is an adjective and does not fit the context of describing an action related to the market.

Correct answer: keep

Explanation: The verb 'keep' is in the present tense and fits grammatically as it describes the ongoing action of employers maintaining their hiring practices. This aligns with the context of cautious hiring after a financial crisis.

Meaning: 'Keep' means to continue or maintain, indicating that employers are consistently cautious in their hiring approach.

Wrong options:

• keeping: 'Keeping' is a gerund and does not fit the sentence structure as it would require a different grammatical construction.
• kept: 'Kept' is the past tense, which does not match the present context of ongoing hiring practices.
• are kept: 'Are kept' suggests a passive voice, which does not accurately convey the active decision-making of employers in this context.

Correct answer: because

Explanation: The word 'because' serves as a conjunction that introduces a reason, fitting grammatically and contextually as it explains why the older population finds it difficult to get a job. This aligns with the overall meaning of the sentence.

Meaning: 'Because' means for the reason that, indicating the cause of the difficulty faced by the older population in job acquisition.

Wrong options:

• although: 'Although' introduces a contrast, which does not fit the context of providing a reason for the difficulty in getting a job.
• while: 'While' suggests simultaneity or contrast, which does not appropriately convey the causal relationship intended in this context.
• then: 'Then' indicates a sequence of events, which does not fit the context of explaining the reason for the difficulty in job acquisition.