"Like" is a keyword that indicates a comparison, but there are other common keywords, such as "whereas" that can set up a comparison. But yes, we see "like" used quite a bit on the GMAT to set up a comparison.
Check out this Veritas question:
Like the traditional lutefisk and klippfisk that is prepared with dried cod steeped in lye as refrigeration was non-existent in early Norwegian homes, the bacalhau spoiling in early Portuguese dishes was prevented using drying and salting techniques to preserve nutrients and make the fish tastier.
Notice how "like" sets up the comparison, but we cannot compare "lutefisk and klippfisk" to "the spoiling."
The correct choice will compare fish to fish, "lutefisk and klippfisk" to "bacalhau." Let's look at the answer choices:
(A) the bacalhau spoiling in early Portuguese dishes was prevented using drying and salting techniques to preserve nutrients and make
(B) the bacalhau's spoiling in early Portuguese dishes is prevented using drying and salting techniques to preserve nutrients, making
(C) that the bacalhau spoiled in early Portuguese dishes was prevented using drying and salting techniques to preserve nutrients, making
(D) early Portuguese dishes prevented bacalhau from spoiling using drying and salting techniques to preserve nutrients and make
(E) bacalhau itself was prevented from spoiling in early Portuguese dishes using drying and salting techniques to preserve nutrients, making
The correct answer is (E). Notice that the verbs "to preserve" and "making" are no longer parallel, but that can be overlooked since "making" is correctly used as a modifier in this revision. The most important thing is to fix the comparison (the original error) without introducing new errors.
