Understanding the Passage:Paragraph 1:Most consumers don't have clear understanding of fat's role in diet. America has demonized Cholesterol in general, a kind of fat, but that's not quite true. The consumption of fat has decreased over the past decades and statistics are provided, comparing current reliance on fat and Obesity and diabetics levels to that of 1960s supporting the contradiction brought up.
Paragraph 2:Sets out to explain why current levels of Obesity and Diabetics levels are higher than that of 1960s. Introduces a new information that explains the difference between good and bad fats and concludes that health is a function of type of fat rather than amount of fat consumed. Essentially coveys that the conventional understanding has been wrong.
Paragraph 3:Highlights an exception to the idea that conventional understanding has been wrong and provides an example.
Question 1: Answer IMO D1. It can be inferred from this passage that
A. a healthy diet should consist primarily of HDLs and triglycerides.The passage doesn't explain what is a "healthy diet". Also, last para says that too much triglycerides leads to obesity. So, a diet consisting
primarily of HDLs and triglycerides is likely to be unhealthy.
B. people in the 1960s were healthier despite having higher body fat.All we know is that the people of 1960s were less obese and diabetic but we don't know about their
health, in general. In addition, obesity, in general, was not as prevalent in 1960s as it is today, as per the statistics given.
C. there is no correlation between fat consumption and such health risks as obesity and diabetes.Not true. Third para says that consumption of Triglycerides in excess can cause obesity. Also, per para 2, consumption of certain types of fat still poses health risk.
D. processed food is less likely to be healthful than fish is.Correct. Para 2 says that the fats heavily used in the processed food should be avoided as they're unhealthy. In a following sentence, it's said that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish promote good health. So, this statement can be inferred.
E. popular misconceptions play a decreasing role in public attitudes about fat.In fact, it suggests other way around. Passage states that the fat consumption has decreased in recent decades. This can arguably be correlated with the fact that people have
demonized fat. So, misconceptions should've played increasing role.
Question 2: Answer IMO E2. The author mentions statistics from the 1960s in order to
A. demonstrate a trend toward the consumption of healthier fats.The trend shows that, despite the decrease in fat consumption today as compared to the 1960s, Obesity & Diabetics increased in prevalence. This can only be construed as a trend toward the consumption of
unhealthier fats.
B. illustrate the cultural differences between the 1960s and today.No cultural aspect is discussed in the passage but just different timelines.
C. assert a connection between popular trends and fat consumption.The statistics was provided to support a counter-intuitive thinking, not to correlate "Popular trends" with fat consumption. In addition, we're not sure what "Popular trends" indicate here.
D. underscore a widely held belief about past fat consumption in this country.There is no indication of any opinion about past fat consumption whatsoever.
E. support the argument that fat consumption is not inherently unhealthy.The usage of phrases like "we have demonized..." & "The truth is...", in the first para indicates that the author sets out to prove the contrast. The Statistics that follows does quite that. It aids affirming that though the fat consumption is "demonized" as unhealthy, "The truth" is that it is not. People consumed more fat in the 1960s but were less unhealthy(obesity & Diabetics, per statistics, were less prevalent).
Question 3: Answer IMO C3. According to the passage, high density lipoproteins (HDLs) are good for health because they
Last line of para 2 precisely paraphrases "clean cholesterol from arteries"
A. are a type of Trans fat.Passage says that Trans fats are the fats to avoid as they are
not good for health.
B. occur naturally in the human body.No fat, let alone HDLs, is said to be naturally "occurring" in the body.
C. clean cholesterol from arteries.Correct, as explained above.
D. move easily through the body.Triglycerides are the ones, as explicitly stated in passage, that move easily through the body. But no such information on HDLs.
E. reduce the incidence of obesity and diabetes.The only stated benefit of HDLs is that it cleans cholesterol from arteries. It's unclear whether that leads to reduced incidence of obesity and diabetes.