Final answer:
The author creates tension in paragraphs 2-3 of "Race at the British Club" through vivid descriptions and imagery, and a switch in tenses to indicate past and present events.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author creates tension in paragraphs 2-3 of "Race at the British Club" through the use of vivid descriptions and imagery. Twain builds tension by describing the increasing dangers and the narrator's growing sense of peril. The author also uses a switch in tenses to indicate events in the past and present, which adds to the suspense.
Finally, in regards to the use of dialogue and quotations, the inclusion of quoted material directly from a character can serve to give readers a more intimate connection to the character's voice, thus contributing to the tension. Pivotal moments and themes are often highlighted through a character's direct speech, thereby adding to the buildup of suspense leading towards the story's climax.