The commission has directed advertisers to restrict the use of the wor

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Here is a detailed explanation to this question-

Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:
Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning of this sentence is that the commission has directed advertisers to restrict the use of the word "natural" to foods that do not contain any of the following - color or flavor additives, chemical preservatives, and anything that has been synthesized.

Concepts tested here: Meaning

A: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "nothing that has been synthesized"; the use of "nothing" alongside "do not" produces a double negative that illogically implies that the commission has directed advertisers to restrict the use of the word "natural" to foods that contain something that has been synthesized; the intended meaning is that the commission has directed advertisers to restrict the use of the word "natural" to foods that contain nothing that has been synthesized.

B: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "or that has been"; the construction of this phrase leads to an incoherent meaning, as there is no noun for the prepositional phrase "that has been synthesized" to act upon; the intended meaning is that the commission has directed advertisers to restrict the use of the word "natural" to foods that do not contain any of the following - color or flavor additives, chemical preservatives, and anything that has been synthesized.

C: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "and nothing that is synthesized"; the use of and the use of "nothing" alongside "do not" (a double negative) illogically implies that the commission has directed advertisers to restrict the use of the word "natural" to foods that do not contain a combination of the following - color or flavor additives, chemical preservatives, and something that has been synthesized; the intended meaning is that the commission has directed advertisers to restrict the use of the word "natural" to foods that do not contain any of the following - color or flavor additives, chemical preservatives, and anything that has been synthesized.

D: Correct. This answer choice uses the phrase "or anything that has been synthesized"; this phrase uses the pronoun "anything", avoiding the double negative seen in Options A and C, provides the pronoun "anything" as a subject for the prepositional phrase "that has been synthesized" to act upon, and uses "or", conveying the intended meaning - that the commission has directed advertisers to restrict the use of the word "natural" to foods that do not contain any of the following - color or flavor additives, chemical preservatives, and anything that has been synthesized.

E: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "and anything synthesized"; the use of "and" incorrectly implies that the commission has directed advertisers to restrict the use of the word "natural" to foods that do not contain a combination of the following - color or flavor additives, chemical preservatives, and anything that has been synthesized; the intended meaning is that the commission has directed advertisers to restrict the use of the word "natural" to foods that do not contain any of the following - color or flavor additives, chemical preservatives, and anything that has been synthesized.

Hence, D is the best answer choice.

All the best!
Experts' Global Team