Sentence:  Race-drivers , on the other hand , are quite often <WSD>killed</WSD> on the circuit , and since it was obviously Mr. Remarque 's intention to establish automobile racing as life in microcosm , one might reasonably have expected him to demonstrate precise knowledge not only of techniques but of mores and attitudes . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly