All the people in the bus died in that … accident

Analyze the question: The sentence says all the people in the bus died in that __ accident. We need an adjective that fits the context of deaths and is used correctly to describe an accident.

Explain the concept: This tests word choice and collocation, which means knowing which words naturally go together.

• Serious: describes how severe something is, but it does not specifically mean that people died.
• Reckless: describes a person or behaviour (a reckless driver), not an accident.
• Fatal: means causing death. We say "a fatal accident" for one in which people die.
• Dangerous: describes something that could cause harm (a dangerous road). It refers to potential harm, not an accident that has already happened.

Solution:

1. The sentence says everyone died, so the accident resulted in death.
2. The word that means "causing death" is fatal.
3. "Reckless" and "dangerous" describe people, places, or actions, not an accident that has already happened.
4. "Serious" is possible in general, but it is less precise than "fatal" because the sentence stresses that everyone died.

Answer: C. fatal

Tip: When a sentence mentions death, look for fatal. Remember that fatal = death, dangerous = risk of harm, and reckless = careless behaviour by a person.