With skis on and poles in hand, Nate inched toward the ski lift. He felt his hands grip the poles tighter and tighter with every shuffle. Nate stood in place and waited for the moving seat to arrive. His knees trembled, and his heart raced like the wind. Would he be able to hop on without falling or hurting himself? Why does the author most likely use the underlined phrase?

to create a more playful or excited tone
to improve the flow of the paragraph
to make the style of the paragraph more interesting
to reveal his or her attitude about Nate's experience