Question

a student is learning about living systems and reads the following: an illustration of how living systems work can be seen in the food chain of the animal kingdom. certain animals consume plants, while others prey on plant - eating animals. when these animals die, they decompose and enrich the soil with nutrients, which in turn supports plant growth. this cyclical process depends on the functioning of all its components. this passage best describes -
a a hypothesis about food chains
b a law about classifying living things
c a theory about living systems
d a process for an experiment

Explanation:

• Option A: A hypothesis is a proposed explanation, but the passage describes a known process of how living systems (food chain, nutrient cycle) work, not a hypothesis about food chains.
• Option B: A law about classifying living things would focus on taxonomy, but the passage is about energy/nutrient flow in living systems, not classification.
• Option C: A theory about living systems fits as the passage explains the cyclical process (food chain, decomposition, nutrient recycling) that supports the functioning of living systems, which is consistent with a theory explaining how living systems operate.
• Option D: The passage describes a natural process, not a process for conducting an experiment.

Answer:

C. A theory about living systems