Meaning: A 'sage' is a person who is profoundly wise, often providing guidance or advice based on experience and knowledge.

Wrong options:

• tutors: Tutors are typically educators, which does not fit the context of wisdom in health advice as strongly as 'sages'.
• gurus: Gurus imply a spiritual or religious teacher, which may not directly relate to health in the same authoritative manner as 'sages'.
• elders: Elders refer to older individuals, but do not necessarily imply wisdom in health specifically, making 'sages' a more precise choice.

Correct answer: fatal

Explanation: The word 'fatal' indicates something that can cause death, which fits perfectly in the context of describing animal fats as a serious health risk. It aligns grammatically as an adjective modifying 'sin'.

Meaning: 'Fatal' means causing death or capable of causing death, emphasizing the severity of the health warning regarding animal fats.

Wrong options:

• lethal: While 'lethal' also means deadly, it is often used in a more direct context of causing death, making 'fatal' a more suitable choice here.
• killer: 'Killer' is informal and typically used in a more casual context, lacking the formal tone required in this sentence.
• deadly: 'Deadly' is similar to 'fatal' but is less formal and does not fit as smoothly in the context of a 'sin'.

Correct answer: rigid

Explanation: The term 'rigid' suggests strictness and inflexibility, which is appropriate in the context of warnings about health. It fits grammatically as an adjective describing the type of warning given.

Meaning: 'Rigid' means inflexible or strict, indicating that the warnings were firm and not open to interpretation.

Wrong options:

• stern: While 'stern' implies seriousness, it does not convey the same sense of inflexibility as 'rigid'.
• hard: 'Hard' is too vague and does not specifically relate to the nature of the warnings in a health context.
• rough: 'Rough' does not fit the context of warnings, as it typically describes texture or a lack of smoothness, rather than the nature of advice.

Correct answer: increasing

Explanation: The word 'increasing' indicates the act of making something larger or more numerous, which fits contextually as it describes the production of guidelines. It is grammatically correct as a present participle modifying the action of producing guidelines.

Meaning: 'Increasing' means to make something larger or more in quantity, suggesting that more guidelines were being produced in response to health concerns.

Wrong options:

• stretching: 'Stretching' implies extending something physically or metaphorically, which does not fit the context of producing guidelines.
• prolonging: 'Prolonging' suggests extending the duration of something, which does not apply to the creation of guidelines in this context.
• extending: 'Extending' implies lengthening but lacks the connotation of quantity that 'increasing' provides.

Correct answer: to

Explanation: The preposition 'to' indicates direction or adherence, which is appropriate in the context of sticking to a guideline. It fits grammatically as it connects the verb 'stick' with the noun phrase 'low-fat dairy products'.

Meaning: 'To' indicates direction or adherence, suggesting that one should follow the guideline of consuming low-fat dairy products.

Wrong options:

• by: 'By' implies a method or means, which does not fit the context of adhering to guidelines.
• in: 'In' suggests being inside something, which does not convey the intended meaning of following advice.
• at: 'At' indicates a specific location or time, which does not apply to the context of sticking to dietary guidelines.

Correct answer: hold

Explanation: The verb 'hold' is appropriate here as it means to maintain or keep something in a certain state, fitting contextually with the idea of limiting consumption. It is grammatically correct as it follows the structure of the sentence.

Meaning: 'Hold' means to keep or maintain, indicating that one should limit the consumption of fatty meat products.

Wrong options:

• have: 'Have' is too general and does not convey the specific action of limiting consumption as effectively as 'hold'.
• keep: While 'keep' could work, it is less precise than 'hold' in this context, which emphasizes maintaining a minimum.
• let: 'Let' implies allowing something to happen, which does not fit the context of restricting dietary choices.