In the following sentence completion question on vocabulary, select the adjective that best completes the sentence: "The recession is going to cause ___________ times for families who are already struggling to pay their bills."

Introduction / Context:
This question tests your understanding of collocations and the figurative use of adjectives with the noun "times". The sentence talks about a recession, which normally leads to financial stress, uncertainty, and instability for families who are already finding it difficult to pay their bills. We need an adjective that naturally combines with "times" to describe such a troubled period.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The subject is "The recession".
• The object is "families who are already struggling to pay their bills".
• The blank comes before "times".
• Options are "furious", "agitated", "turbulent", and "wild".

Concept / Approach:
In English, we often talk about "turbulent times" to refer to periods of great disturbance, instability, or economic uncertainty. The adjective "turbulent" is used metaphorically, drawing from its literal meaning of rough, churning water or air. The other adjectives either do not collocate naturally with "times" in this context or carry a different meaning that does not fit economic hardship.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Insert each adjective into the blank to see how it sounds: "furious times", "agitated times", "turbulent times", "wild times". Step 2: Consider the context of recession and financial struggle; the focus is on instability and difficulty, not anger or excitement. Step 3: Remember that "turbulent times" is a familiar phrase in news reports and articles about economic crises. Step 4: Note that "furious" usually describes a very angry person, not a period of economic hardship. Step 5: Recognise that "agitated" and "wild" do not collocate as strongly with "times" in serious economic commentary.

Verification / Alternative check:
Read the finished sentence: "The recession is going to cause turbulent times for families who are already struggling to pay their bills." This sounds like a realistic statement from a newspaper article or economic analysis. It expresses the idea of rough, unstable conditions. The other options feel either informal or semantically off when paired with "times" in this context, which supports the choice of "turbulent".

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a: "furious times" is not a standard expression; "furious" refers more to intense anger than to economic instability. Option b: "agitated times" sounds unusual; "agitated" more often describes people or feelings, not periods. Option d: "wild times" can be used informally for periods of excitement or uncontrolled behaviour, which does not fit the serious, negative tone of recession and unpaid bills.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to focus only on the emotional strength of the adjective, picking the word that sounds dramatic without checking whether it collocates naturally with the noun. Developing a strong sense of collocations comes from wide reading. Whenever you see phrases like "turbulent times", note them and try to remember them as fixed expressions that you can use in your own writing.

Final Answer:
The adjective that best completes the sentence is turbulent, giving the phrase "turbulent times".