Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer.
Although they are an inexpensive supplier of vitamins, minerals and high- quality protein, eggs, also contain a high level of blood cholesterol, one of the major causes of heart diseases. One egg yolk, in fact, contains a little more than two- thirds of the suggested cholesterol limit. This knowledge has driven egg sales to plummet in recent years, which in turn has brought about the development of several alternatives to eating regular eggs. One alternative is eating substitute eggs. These egg substitutes are not really eggs, but they look somewhat like eggs when they are cooked. They have the advantage of having low cholesterol rates, and they can be scrambled or used in baking. One disadvantage, however, is that they are not good for frying, poaching or boiling. A second alternative to regular eggs is a new type of egg, sometimes called “designer” eggs. These eggs are produced by hens that are fed low- fat diets consisting of ingredients such as canola oil, flax and rice bran. In spite of their diet, however, these hens produce eggs that contain the same amount of cholesterol as regular eggs. Yet, the producers of these eggs claim that eating their eggs will not raise the blood cholesterol in humans.
Egg producers claim that their product has been portrayed unfairly. They cite scientific studies to back up their claim. And, in fact, studies on relationship between eggs and human cholesterol levels have brought mixed result. It may be that it is not the type of eggs that is the main determinant of cholesterol but the person who is eating the eggs. Some people may be more sensitive to cholesterol derived from food than other people. In fact, there is evidence that certain dietary fats stimulate the body’s production of blood cholesterol. Consequently, while it still makes sense to limit one’s intake of eggs, even designer eggs, it seems that doing this without regulating dietary fat will probably not help reduce the blood cholesterol level.
The word “portrayed” could best be replaced by which of the following?
A. studied
B. tested
C. destroyed
D. described
