1. **State the problem:** Find the slope of the line passing through the points $(-1, 31)$ and $(98, -20)$. 2. **Formula for slope:** The slope $m$ between two points $(x_1, y_1)$ and $(x_2, y_2)$ is given by: $$m = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1}$$ 3. **Substitute the given points:** $$m = \frac{-20 - 31}{98 - (-1)}$$ 4. **Simplify numerator and denominator:** $$m = \frac{-20 - 31}{98 + 1} = \frac{-51}{99}$$ 5. **Simplify the fraction by dividing numerator and denominator by their greatest common divisor (GCD):** The GCD of 51 and 99 is 3. $$m = \frac{\cancel{3} \times (-17)}{\cancel{3} \times 33} = \frac{-17}{33}$$ 6. **Final answer:** The slope of the line is $$m = -\frac{17}{33}$$