The correct answer is (A).
One of the main resources the author uses to picture the scenery is humor,expressed as a hyperbole,exaggerating or understating something the reader knows is depicted from reality,in this case the obvious immorality of the local community shown as virtuous and distant from crime and evil practices.
To clarify the information being stated in the research paper and make it more understandable.
Judging from the context, Portended could mean "predicted" or "looked like".
