Final answer:
Dale should sort the data in his database by read date to find out which book was read first. Sorting arranges records in order, making it easy to see the book at the start of the list.
Step-by-step explanation:
How to Determine Which Book Was Read First
To determine which book was read first, Dale should sort the data in his database according to the date each book was read. Sorting is a common data operation that arranges records according to a specific field. If the data includes a field for the date the books were read, Dale can arrange the data in ascending order of this date to quickly identify the book that was read first. This is more efficient than a query, which is used to find data that matches specific criteria, or editing the data, which means altering the records. Inputting new data is not relevant to finding out which book was read first as it pertains to adding new information to the database. So, the correct answer to Dale's question is to sort the data which aligns with option (a).