He tried to cope with the ever-increasing burden of his work, but finally he ______ and had to take a complete rest.
 
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】 动词词组辨析。break away“脱离,放弃,逃跑”;break off“突然停止;暂停”;break up“打碎;结束”;break down“发生故障;毁掉”。句中的语境为:他试图处理日益增长的工作压力,结果他不得不彻底休息。结合选项可知break down符合语境,表示“他的身体垮掉了”的意思。故答案为D。