In sentence 19 (reproduced below), the writer is considering deleting the underlined phrase. Resettled in the remote parts of the park, where salt licks are plentiful and hikers are scarce, the goats will likely regain their natural wariness of people. Should the writer keep or delete the underlined phrase?.

Afarmer began a new method of reducing grain spills. this reduced the number of mice on the farm. the number of snakes in the surrounding area decreased at the same time. the snakes depended on the mice that lived in the field. what’s the likely reason the snake population decreased? a. the number of snake predators increased. b. the number of mice increased. c. the number of mice decreased. d. the pesticides affected the snakes. e. a new breed of mice moved into the field.