Select the verb that correctly completes the collocation denoting severe disruption:
Unregulated commercial overfishing threatens to ________ havoc on the fragile coral reef ecosystems of Southeast Asia.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. wreak
Answer: wreak. Why not the others: While 'cause havoc' is increasingly heard in casual speech, 'wreak havoc' is the gold standard formal collocation in academic examinations; 'inflict havoc' and 'generate havoc' are non-standard.
- Step 1: Identify the fixed idiom with 'havoc': the traditional, highly standard collocation is 'wreak havoc' (meaning to cause widespread destruction or devastation).
- Step 2: The verb 'wreak' exclusively pairs with 'havoc' in this idiomatic context.
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