Diet and Calories

Question

I don't have the OA for this.!

 Begun as late as middle age, a diet restricting calories but that provides all of the required nutirents  can perhaps retard the aged-related decline in a person's ability to ward off infection and thus may prolong life beyond a hundred years.

A) Begun as late as middle age, a diet restricting calories but that provides all of the required nutirents
B) Even if it is not initiated until middle age, a diet that restricts calories but provides all of the required nutrients
C) A diet, even if not initiated until middle age, restricted in calorie content that provieds all of the required nutrients
D) A diet restricting calories but providing all of the required nutrients, beginning as late as middle age, 
E) A diet, beginning as late as middle age, that is restricted in calorie content but providing all of the required nutrients

oxon · Answer

B?

praveen_rao7 · Answer

I will go with D on this one

ashokkk · Answer

will pick E...

rthothad · Answer

I am going with 'E'.

A. The past tense 'Begun' and a progressive term 'restricting' does not match.
C. Missing a 'but' to contrast that the diet has less calories but has all of the required nutrients.
D. 'A diet restricting calories' - makes it look like the diet is automatically restricting the in-take of calories.

Between 'B' & 'E' I think 'E' starts off with the subject 'A diet' that is more appropriate instead of 'B' and moreover I think the 
'it' in 'B' is missing the noun that it is referring to - even though we can see that it is referring to 'diet' I think the pronoun should follow the noun it is referring, correct me if I am wrong.

ruhi · Answer

This one's tough!! Well Ill go with E....

Choice B..."it" is very ambiguous.

Choice C...a "but" is missing before "restricted".

D.... i think " beginning as late as middle age" looks very awkward and out of place here. I think this choice would have been right if this "..." part would be there in the starting of the sentence.

A...The two parts before and after "but" are not parallel.. that is --- but ----. "restricting" and "provides" dont match "begun".

Hence, I choose E.

crackgmat04 · Answer

I think in B - the pronoum "it" is pretty clear and it refers to the subject "Diet" that follows......to me B conveys the idea of time (Even if it is not initiated until middle age) better than (beginning as late as middle age)

so I am tempted to select B over E unless there is some other error in B.....

WHat is the official answer?

Any verbal gurus around ?

maaverick · Answer

I'll go with "C", though it was tough to decide between "B" and "C". 

The basic idea the author tries to convey is that a diet low in calories, but containing all other nutrients can help in prolonging life. The part "begun as late as middle age" qualifies this main message. 

"A" - emphasises on when the diet is initiated.

"B" - same as "A" in my opinion

"D" - the phrase "beginning as late as middle age" seems to qualify the "required nutrients".

"E" - "beginning as late as middle age" does not properly convey the meaning. Seems to qualify "the diet" more than when it is started.

Any hope to get hold of the OA?

Diet and Calories

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