Most people think that … punishment should be abolished, even in murder cases.

Analyze the question The sentence is: "Most people think that ____ punishment should be abolished, even in murder cases." We need a word that forms a standard phrase with "punishment" and fits the idea of murder cases.

Explain the concept This tests collocations (words that naturally go together):

• Capital punishment is the death penalty, a sentence of death for very serious crimes such as murder.
• Corporal punishment is physical punishment, such as caning or flogging.
• "Fatal punishment" and "severe punishment" are not fixed expressions. "Severe" simply describes how harsh a punishment is.

Step-by-step solution

1. The phrase "even in murder cases" points to the most extreme penalty for the most serious crime.
2. The penalty traditionally given for murder is death, which is capital punishment.
3. Check the other options: • A. Fatal is not the standard term and sounds unnatural. • C. Severe is too general and not a specific type of punishment. • D. Corporal refers to physical punishment like flogging, which is not the usual penalty for murder. It is mostly discussed in schools and homes. 4.

Answer: B. capital

Tip: Link the words to their roots. Capital comes from the Latin caput (head), recalling the old practice of beheading, so it means death penalty. Corporal comes from corpus (body), so it means physical or bodily punishment. Whenever you see "murder" or "death sentence," think capital.