In this idiom and phrase question, choose the option that best expresses the legal meaning of the term "Capital Punishment".

Introduction / Context:
English idiom and phrase questions often include expressions borrowed from law, politics or history. The term "capital punishment" is widely used in legal and social debates about crime and justice. To answer correctly, you must know the specific legal meaning of the phrase rather than guessing from the ordinary meaning of the word "capital". In this context, "capital" has nothing to do with a city or money; it refers to a punishment involving death.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The expression is "Capital Punishment".
• The options are death sentence, life imprisonment, to be jailed, imprisoned for a long period.
• The question asks for the alternative that best expresses the meaning of the idiom or phrase.
• We assume standard legal and general English usage as found in newspapers and textbooks.

Concept / Approach:
In legal terminology, "capital" comes from a Latin root related to "caput", meaning "head". Historically, crimes that could lead to loss of life were called capital offences. Therefore "capital punishment" is the punishment where the state legally executes a person. It is not any form of imprisonment, no matter how long. Recognising this fixed meaning is essential, because all the options describe serious penalties, but only one involves death explicitly.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that capital punishment is a formal term used in discussions about the death penalty.Step 2: Match this memory with the options and notice that death sentence corresponds directly.Step 3: Examine life imprisonment, which means confinement for the remainder of a person's life but without execution.Step 4: Examine to be jailed, which is a general phrase for being sent to prison, usually for a limited time.Step 5: Examine imprisoned for a long period, which again describes long-term confinement but not execution.Step 6: Conclude that only death sentence captures the essential feature of capital punishment, which is loss of life by legal process.

Verification / Alternative Check:
You can verify this by thinking of real-world usage. News reports say things like "the court awarded capital punishment for the brutal murder" or "many countries have abolished capital punishment." In both cases, the phrase is interchangeable with "the death penalty" or "a death sentence." Substituting life imprisonment or any reference to being jailed changes the meaning completely, because the criminal in those cases remains alive. This confirms that death sentence is the correct explanation.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Life imprisonment refers to spending the rest of one's life in prison. Although it is a severe punishment, it is not capital punishment because the person is not executed. To be jailed and imprisoned for a long period both refer to confinement, but they say nothing about death and can be applied to many different crimes and sentences. None of these terms is used in law as an exact synonym of capital punishment.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners confuse "capital" with "major" and assume it simply means very serious punishment, leading them to pick life imprisonment or lengthy imprisonment. Others think of "capital city" or "capital" as money and become unsure. The key is to remember that in legal English, capital offence and capital punishment are fixed terms associated specifically with the death penalty. Once you recall this association, the correct option becomes obvious.

Final Answer:
The expression "Capital Punishment" means a death sentence.