Final answer:
When reading the text about HALO's efforts to address pet overpopulation, b. sympathetic tone is most appropriate due to the serious nature of the subject. The tone should convey empathy and encourage the audience to act responsibly regarding pet ownership.
Step-by-step explanation:
To properly preview and determine the tone to use when reading the provided text, it's essential to understand what tone signifies. Tone is the attitude or emotional character that a writer or speaker imparts through their choice of words and style of communication. The text discusses a significant and sensitive issue regarding pet overpopulation and advocates for responsible pet ownership. Such topics usually require a tone that conveys empathy and seriousness concerning the situation being addressed.
The text is not attempting to be comedic or lighthearted; therefore, a humorous tone is unsuitable. Likewise, it is not expressing shock or amazement, so a surprised tone is not apt for the content. Since the message is about helping abandoned animals and stopping the needless killing of pets, the appropriate tone would be one that evokes understanding among the audience regarding the gravity of the situation, which can be considered a sympathetic tone.
In light of the information and with sensitivity towards the issue of pet overpopulation, the correct option to adopt when reading this text is to use a sympathetic tone, which aligns with the text's intent to elicit empathy and action from the audience.