Question

read the first two paragraphs of a scientific account about a food chain.
snakes’ place in the food chain by annu axtell
many people consider snakes to be pests, but snakes are a vital part of the food chain, as are all organisms on earth. a change within a food chain affects all of the organisms in that food chain.
consider the following food chain, which can be found throughout the united states
acorn → mouse → snake → hawk
the acorn is the seed of a producer—an organism (an oak tree, in this case) that makes its own food from the sun. the second link is a primary consumer—an organism that eats producers. the snake and the hawk are secondary and tertiary consumers (also called predators) that eat other animals.
(continued)
explore how to answer this question: “how can i best summarize this part of the scientific account?”
the author provides a central idea and details. identifying them and summarizing, or restating in your own words, will help you understand and remember the information.
reread the account above and do the following:

• find and underline the central idea
• circle the three most important details.

then examine the summary below and cross out the opinion statement.
snakes, like all organisms, are a vital link in the food chain even though i think they are pests. in a snake’s food chain are acorns (producers), mice (primary consumers), and hawks (tertiary consumers).
explain to a partner what you crossed out and why. then take turns summarizing this part of the account without including any opinions or judgments.

Explanation:

The task involves analyzing a scientific text about a food chain and identifying opinion statements in a summary. The relevant subfield here is Biology (under Natural Science) as it deals with ecological concepts like food chains, producers, and consumers. The opinion statement to cross out is "even though I think they are pests" because it introduces a personal judgment, while the rest of the summary contains factual information about the food chain components.

Answer:

The opinion statement to cross out is "even though I think they are pests" because it is a personal opinion, and summaries of scientific accounts should be factual without including personal judgments. The remaining text ("Snakes, like all organisms, are a vital link in the food chain. In a snake’s food chain are acorns (producers), mice (primary consumers), and hawks (tertiary consumers)") contains factual information about the food chain.