According to sea wolf which quotation from the excerpt most clearly helps to build tension by portraying an external conflict

D) "I told Larsen I was not a preacher..."

Explanation:

Larsen asked if the man was a preacher and when the man said no that indicated a problem with somene other then himself, making it an external conflict.

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the use of “as” in the example to draw the resemblance. some more examples of common similes are given below. common examples of simile. our soldiers are as brave as lions. her cheeks are red like a rose. he is as funny as a monkey. the water well was as dry as a bone. he is as cunning as a fox. simile introduces vividness into what we say.