4. Which statement best explains why Bates decided to teach maximum-security prisoners?
A. She had never taught in a prison before and wanted to leave her comfort zone.
B. She wanted to continue teaching her student, Don, who was sent to a super max
unit.
C. She felt obligated to take on the challenge despite her reservations about
teaching in a super max unit.
D. She hypothesized that maximum-security prisoners had the greatest need for
educational programs.

B. She wanted to continue teaching her student, Don, who was sent to a super max  unit.

Explanation:

Professor Laura Bates was a professor teaching William Shakespeare to prisoners who wanted to get a degree. But the disappearance of one of her students led her to the super-max unit, where she began a new phase of teaching, which is what her book "Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard." is based on.

Laura, in conversation with NPR's Michel Martin, revealed that she came across the super-max unit by chance. One of her prisoner students, Don, was missing from class, leading Laura to ask around. When she was told that Don had been shifted to the super-max unit where there is no education, she immediately took it upon herself to try to teach the inmates about Shakespeare. And that was why she decided to teach the maximum-security prisoners.

Thus, the correct answer is option B.

the author motivation is to show the power of animal-human relationships.