He became a senator, but then he decided to resign. what is the linking verb in the sentence? then decided became resign

Read the excerpt from "save the redwoods."another, one of the finest in the grove, more than three hundred feet high, was skinned alive to a height of one hundred and sixteen feet from the ground and the bark sent to london to show how fine and big that calaveras tree was—as sensible a scheme as skinning our great men would be to prove their greatness.which  best  describes how the excerpt appeals to readers’ emotions? the excerpt provides facts about the tree, which impresses readers’ scientific minds.the excerpt describes how the tree traveled to london, which excites the readers’ sense of adventure.the excerpt compares the tree to a person, which makes readers feel sympathetic toward the tree.the excerpt explains how to skin a tree, which makes readers feel awed at the height of the tree.