单选题 The winter just ending was ______ severe, causing great hardship to the poorer people in this area.
A. exceptionally B. explosively C. extensively D. expressively

【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】刚刚过去的冬天情况格外严峻，使该地区贫困人民的生活十分艰难。只有exceptionally符合本句的意思。