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 author's use of pacing in the passage?

a. the author's use of pacing is not effective, because the long, complex sentences slow down the action.

b. the author's use of pacing is effective, because the interjection of background events creates suspense and anticipation.

c. the author's use of pacing is effective, because the description of the birthday and workout routine to fill lulls in the action.

d. the author's use of pacing is not effective, because important information — such as victor's 16th birthday — is skipped over too quickly.