In the sentence from "The Land of Red Apples," the word "reproving" means:
D. correcting
Explanation:
1. In the sentence, the mothers are not ignoring or conveying the rude curiosity of the children.
2. They are not initiating any action based on the curiosity.
3. The mothers are actually looking closely at the speaker and attracting their children's further notice to the speaker's blanket, indicating that they are correcting or disapproving of the rude curiosity.
Therefore, in this context, the word "reproving" means correcting or showing disapproval towards the children's rude curiosity.
