11.   He then faced a dire economic situation.

12.   In most instances, Pearson said, they have only themselves to blame for their dire situations.

13.   It is a dire situation.

14.   It was not a dire situation.

15.   Latrell Sprewell shook off his shooting slump on Tuesday night and stepped into a mesmerizing zone that helped pull the New York Knicks out of a dire situation.

16.   Many of them maintained, nonetheless, an air of striking confidence on Sunday, despite what would appear to be a dire situation.

17.   Most of the dogs the Neva Foundation rescues come from dire situations and are fortunate to find good homes.

18.   Often the desperate acts reflect the dire situation of middle-aged workers who find themselves abruptly without jobs in a country still ill-prepared to deal with unemployment.

19.   Of the three major central banks, the Bank of Japan faces the most dire situation and the most second-guessing.

20.   Only then, he said, did he realize the dire situation the species was in.