read this passage. once victor put his new hook in the water, everything happened so fast. the catfish…

read this passage. once victor put his new hook in the water, everything happened so fast. the catfish snapped at the barely visible 10 - pound - test line trailing from the brand - new rod his cousin eduardo had given him for his 16th birthday. the fish bit down and began to flail in a way victor had only seen on television fishing shows and in a way only an animal can flail; then victor gave a hard tug, summoning all the strength his diligent routine of free weights and cardio had produced. as he tugged, he reeled in the line with tremendous speed until there it was, rocking back and forth like a pendulum ticking off the time between victory and defeat: an empty hook. he looked around in every direction, but the clever catfish was nowhere to be found. which statement best evaluates the authors use of pacing in the passage? a. the authors use of pacing is not effective, because the long, complex sentences slow down the action. b. the authors use of pacing is effective, because the description of the birthday and workout routine help to fill lulls in the action. c. the authors use of pacing is effective, because the interjection of background events creates suspense and anticipation. d. the authors use of pacing is not effective, because important information — such as victors 16th birthday — is skipped over too quickly.
Answer
Brief Explanations:
The passage discusses the author's use of pacing in a narrative about Victor fishing. Pacing refers to how the author controls the speed at which the story unfolds. In this case, long, complex sentences slow down the action (Option A). The description of the birthday and workout routine helps fill lulls in the action, which is an effective use of pacing (Option B is incorrect). The interjection of background events creates suspense and anticipation, which is also an effective use of pacing (Option C is incorrect). Skipping over important information like Victor's 16th - birthday shows ineffective pacing as it leaves out potentially important details (Option D is incorrect).
Answer:
A. The author's use of pacing is not effective, because the long, complex sentences slow down the action.