Although people in France consume fatty foods at a rate

[evelynho]

i would think it important to mention the people eating the fatty foods, a detail that's neglected by choice (d).
but, more importantly,
"the rate of fatty foods consumed" doesn't make literal sense (and, remember, literal sense is the only kind of sense that's worth anything in this particular game).
it has 2 possible literal interpretations, neither of which makes any sense:
* a "rate of fatty foods" is somehow being consumed;
* the fatty foods, which are being consumed, have a "rate" that's all their own.

you should say the rate AT WHICH fatty foods are consumed.

Hi Ron,

Would you please further explain on points about 1/"literal sense is the only kind of sense that's worth anything in this particular game" and 2/"important to mention the people eating the fatty foods, a detail that's neglected by choice d"? I can not quite follow.
1/ Only I can know that you are saying literal sense is important on GMAT, but how come?
2/ Why is it important to mention the people here? what is matter if the choice go without this subject?

Thank you in advance.
EH

[RonPurewal]

i'm just saying that you have to read these sentences, for meaning, in a way that is both literal and precise.

if you ask yourself "What has a RATE here?" ... the answer is NOT "food".
food doesn't have "rates".

the answer to "What has a RATE here?" is "people's consumption of food".
...so, if the sentence mentions "rates", it MUST talk about the rates at which people consume food -- since those are the only actual rates under discussion here.

[evelynho]

i'm just saying that you have to read these sentences, for meaning, in a way that is both literal and precise.

if you ask yourself "What has a RATE here?" ... the answer is NOT "food".
food doesn't have "rates".

the answer to "What has a RATE here?" is "people's consumption of food".
...so, if the sentence mentions "rates", it MUST talk about the rates at which people consume food -- since those are the only actual rates under discussion here.

Thank you, Ron. Right now I can get your full idea.

After intial reading on each SC problem, I should understeand the intended meaning of the author. (If not, then I think I will consider to quit this one). Then, I may eliminate some choices just by checking the very literal meaning of each choice compared to the intended meaning. Later on, I will think about other splits on the remaining choices. That's what I have learned from this question.

Thank you always.

[RonPurewal]

you're welcome.

[JustinCKN]

In A, "their" must refer to "people in France", right? and is that another mistake in A since the sentence already contains "in France" at the end?

Or as you mentioned above, we can't say "their rate" because the rate does not belong to the people?

change "or" to "and", and then that's exactly correct. (both of those are problems.)

Hi Ron:
I agree that "rate of people " make no sense ,because it should be that "the rate at which people consume the fatty food,"
But In my opinion" their rate" can be correct. since "the rate at which people consume the fatty food,"
in other words,their rate of consumption of fatty foods.
-> their rate - correct.

[RonPurewal]

the sentence says...
"their death rates from heart disease are far lower in France"

so, if the sentence contained JUST the noun "people" -- WITH NO MODIFIERS attached to it -- then that logic would work.

...but it doesn't.
in this sentence, the only possible antecedent for "their" is "people in France", which creates redundancy/nonsense when inserted into this construction.