General alarm vs. false alarm

[Stone]

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #46 "Speaking: At the Station", question 7

We thought for a moment that the 10.45 for London might be about to catch fire but it was a ......... alarm.

(a) wrong
(b) false
(c) difficult
(d) general

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #46 "Speaking: At the Station", answer 7

We thought for a moment that the 10.45 for London might be about to catch fire but it was a false alarm.

Correct answer: (b) false

Your answer was: incorrect
We thought for a moment that the 10.45 for London might be about to catch fire but it was a general alarm.
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What is the meaning of this sentence

I can't understand it in the test

Stone

[Alan]

Hi Stone,

A false alarm is a warning that doesn't in fact come true. If you are in a building and hear a fire alarm ringing, you imagine that a fire has started but if there is no fire in the end, this is called a false (not real) alarm.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Cdt]

Hi Alan,
How about "wrong" word?

[Alan]

Hi Cdt,

'Wrong' suggests 'incorrect' and in the context of the test sentence this would mean that the alarm was misdirected and that there should have been a different alarm and that clearly doesn't make sense.

'False' doesn't mean 'incorrect' but suggests that it doesn't have any basis or support.

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms

[Cdt]

Hi Alan,
Thank you very much