In what ways does the author's use of figurative language contribute to her central idea?

It just does

Explanation: You see figurative language helps the author make things more interesting

free time is when all my homework and chores have been done for the day and i am "free" to do things that i enjoy doing.

usually i spend time watching television. as my favorite tv shows come on at specific times, i make sure that i finish my homework and chores well before the shows. otherwise i will have to miss them. mostly i manage to watch the shows but sometimes extra homework or chores may cause me to miss a show or two, but it is rare. anyhow if i know that i am definitely not able to catch a show in time, i will just set the video recorder to tape the show sothe evening when the weather is fine, i sometimes go for a stroll around the neighborhood with my friends. this is the time when most the neighbors have come home from work or school. we say hello to those whom we know. they are mostly friendly people and they acknowledge our greetings. once in a while we come upon unfriendly neighbors but we just ignore them and carry on. that i can watch it later.

the correct answer is:

this is an example of the writer telling through description rather than showing through dialogue.

sometimes writers like to explain explicitely what's happening instead of adding dialogues of the situations., which is the case in this passage,