Question

during his absence, the horses began to tremble more than ever and to snort and stamp with fright. i could not perceive any cause for it, for the howling of the wolves had ceased altogether, but just then the moon, sailing through the clouds, appeared behind the jagged crest of a prominent, pine - clad rock, and by its light i saw around us a ring of wolves, with white teeth and lolling red tongues, with long, sinewy limbs and shaggy hair. they were a hundred times more terrible in the grim silence which held them than even when they howled. for myself, i felt a sort of paralysis of fear. all at once the wolves began to howl as though the moonlight had had some peculiar effect on them, and the horses jumped about and reared, looking helplessly around. i called to the coachman to come, for it seemed to me that our only chance was to try to break out through the ring and to aid his approach. i shouted and beat the side of the calèche, hoping the noise would scare the wolves from that side, so as to give him a chance of reaching the trap. how he came there, i know not, but i heard his voice raised in a tone of imperious command, and looking towards the sound, i saw him standing in the roadway. as he swept his long arms, as though brushing aside some invisible obstacle, the wolves fell back and back further still. just then an impenetrable cloud passed across the face of the moon, so that we were again in darkness. when i could see again, the driver was climbing into the calèche, and the wolves had disappeared. this was all so strange and uncanny that a dreadful fear came upon me, and i was terrified to speak or move. we kept on ascending, with occasional periods of quick descent, but in the main always ascending. suddenly, i became conscious of the fact that the driver was in the act of pulling up the horses in the courtyard of a vast ruined castle, from whose tall black windows came no ray of light, and whose broken battlements showed a jagged line against the moonlight sky. text: dracula (1897) by bram stoker is in the public domain. this text has been modified. 9. what does the word \imperious\ most closely mean as used in paragraph 11? a improbable b illustrious c regal d awkward

Explanation:

The word "impenetrable" in the context means something that cannot be passed through or penetrated. "Impassable" has a similar meaning, referring to a situation or object that cannot be traversed. "Improbable" means not likely to be true or to happen. "Illustrious" means well - known, respected, and admired. "Opaque" means not transparent or translucent. Among the options, "impassable" is the closest in meaning to "impenetrable" as used in the text where it describes a cloud that blocks the light as if it cannot be penetrated.

Answer:

C. impassable