What does the process of close reading a reader do?

Helps the reader to understand the text 

It gives you a greater understanding of the ending of the story, and helps you to perhaps think about it more deeply.  As you close read it, you have to actually understand the story as more than just words on paper, or a screen.  It also helps you to understand the story all and all, and to gain a deeper understatement of the literary meanings of the story in general, as well as gaining a surface and in depth meaning of the story and more.