Dr. Hegsted argues that just as polio vaccine is given to ev

[eje]

Dr. Hegsted argues that just as polio vaccine is given to every person to protect the few who might actually contract polio, mass dietary change is needed to protect the significant number who are susceptible to the life-threatening effects of press eating habits.
(A) just as polio vaccine is given to every person to protect the few who might actually contract polio
(B) like polio vaccine, which is given to every person to protect the few who might contract polio
(C) similar to polio vaccine which is given to every person in order to protect the few who might actually contract polio
(D) while, to protect the few who might actually contract polio, polio vaccine is given to every person
(E) similar to the giving of polio vaccine to every person in order to protect the few who might contract polio actually

Can you please explain why the answer is a and not b? I thought "just as" always requires a "so". In choice b like is comparing two nouns, polio vaccine with mass dietary change

[cutlass]

We are comparing clauses here:

clause 1 - polio vaccine is given to every person...
clause 2 - mass dietary change is needed to protect the significant..

So 'as' is more appropriate

[Guest]

Like is used to compare nouns or noun phrases

For Eg

Like Polio vaccines, Mass Diets .. Etc would compare 2 Nouns and hence the usage of Like

In this eg

the actions of 2 clauses are compared ..

As X <verb clause>, Y <verb clause>.

The actions from the respective nouns are in compared and hence usage of As...

Hope this helps

[RonPurewal]

Dr. Hegsted argues that just as polio vaccine is given to every person to protect the few who might actually contract polio, mass dietary change is needed to protect the significant number who are susceptible to the life-threatening effects of press eating habits.
(A) just as polio vaccine is given to every person to protect the few who might actually contract polio
(B) like polio vaccine, which is given to every person to protect the few who might contract polio
(C) similar to polio vaccine which is given to every person in order to protect the few who might actually contract polio
(D) while, to protect the few who might actually contract polio, polio vaccine is given to every person
(E) similar to the giving of polio vaccine to every person in order to protect the few who might contract polio actually

Can you please explain why the answer is a and not b? I thought "just as" always requires a "so". In choice b like is comparing two nouns, polio vaccine with mass dietary change

no, 'just as' doesn't require 'so'. in fact, it almost certainly occurs more often WITHOUT the 'so'.

in evaluating choice (b), note that the modifier between the two commas - 'which is given ... contract polio' - is nonessential (because it's bracketed by commas) and can thus be eliminated from the overall structure of the sentence. after that elimination, the sentence reads as follows:
like polio vaccine, mass dietary change is needed to protect the significant number who are susceptible to press(?) eating habits.
this doesn't make sense, because it implies that polio vaccine protects against the effects of poor eating habits.

--

'press' isn't really the right word, is it? what are 'press eating habits'?

[gmatwork]

What's wrong with choice (c) ?

[RonPurewal]

What's wrong with choice (c) ?

"similar to" can only be used when two things are actually similar.
e.g.,
similar to the Argentine accent, the Uruguayan accent generally uses a fricative sound for the letters "ll".
--> this sentence is correct, because an uruguayan accent actually *sounds like* an argentine accent -- i.e., they are similar.

the sentence in this thread fails, because mass dietary change is not similar to a polio vaccine (they are completely different and unrelated things). the sentence makes an analogy, but does not make the claim that the 2 things are actually similar to each other.