Chinese college entrance exam question (made by nearly 10 million students).

I recently came across the following question that’s in the Gaokao (Chinese college entrance exam). The question presents a text on the benefit of working out, especially in the morning. Some parts of the text have been left as blanks, with a list of possible content for each blank. For each, you have to note which, if any, of the given options would fit the blank.

Most of the blanks are easy enough to figure out, so I have filled in the appropriate text in the blanks. In the quote below, the text in [square brackets] is where the gaps were.

There is one gap, however, which I cannot figure out how to judge and answer properly; that gap has been left as a gap.

This is the exercise in full:

If you are already making the time to exercise, it is good indeed! With such busy lives, it can be hard to try and find the time to work out. [If you are planning to do exercise regularly, or you're doing it now, then listen up!] Working out in the morning provides additional benefits beyond being physically fit:

• Your productivity is improved. Exercising makes you more awake and ready to handle whatever is ahead of you for the day. [You can keep your head clear for 4-10 hours after exercise.]
• Your metabolism gets a head start. [After you exercise, you continue to burn more calories throughout the day]. If you work out in the mornings, then you will be getting the calorie burning benefits for the whole day, not in your sleep.
• [Your quality of sleep improves]. Studies found that people who woke up early for exercise slept better than those who exercised in the evening. Exercise energizes you, so it is more difficult to relax and have a peaceful sleep when you’re excited.
• [___]. If you work out bright and early in the morning, you will be more likely to stick to healthy food choices throughout the day. Who would want to ruin their good workout by eating junk food? You will want to continue to focus on positive choices.

There are a lot of benefits to working out, especially in the mornings. Set your alarm clock an hour early and push yourself to work out! You will feel energised all day long.

The exercise gives two possible options for text that should be inserted in the remaining gap:

1. You will stick to your diet.
2. You prefer healthy food over fast food.

The real objective is then to answer which of the following statements is most accurate about these options (and as a result, which option should be entered into the gap):

A) Only 1 fits the gap
B) Only 2 fits the gap
C) Both 1 and 2 fit the gap
D) Neither 1 nor 2 fits the gap

I don’t really think that this question should be in it, because I don’t think there’s a ‘best/right answer’. I'm not convinced that (2) is wrong, and I'm also not 100% convinced (1) is right. I'm hoping to understand why (1) is completely correct and why (2) definitely doesn't fit.

The answer model says it's option A.

Some definitions of certain words in the text: diet: the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person or animal for a special reason'

Prefer: to value more highly