Final answer:
The author likely uses imagery to emphasize the hunger and anxiety of the cattle for food, creating a vivid picture of the chaotic feeding scene. The correct answer is option 2.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most likely reason the author uses imagery in the sentence 'Steamy bodies crowd around us Shoving, bawling, stealing mouthfuls of hay' is to emphasize that the cattle are hungry and anxious for food. Imagery is a literary device used to create vivid pictures in the reader's mind, bringing the scene to life through the senses. The description of steamy bodies, shoving, and bawling suggests a chaotic and desperate scene of cattle trying to feed, which is indicative of their hunger rather than coldness, willingness, or difficult behavior.