Question

based on paragraphs 14 and 15, what does gaunt mean in the selection?
a thin
b brave
c joyful
d critical
\yes, jose silvestre, or rather his skeleton and a little skin. his face was a bright yellow with bilious fever, and his large dark eyes stood nearly out of his head, for all the flesh had gone. there was nothing but yellow parchment - like skin, white hair, and the bones sticking up beneath.
15
\i gave him water with a little milk in it, and he drank it in great gulps, two quarts or so, without stopping. i would not let him have any more. then the fever took him again, and he fell down and began to rave about sullmans mountains, and the diamonds, and the desert. i carried him into the tent and did what i could for him, which was little enough; but i saw how it must end. about eleven oclock he grew quieter, and i lay down for a little rest and went to sleep. at dawn i woke again, and in the half light saw silvestre sitting up, a strange, gaunt form, and gazing out towards the desert. presently the first ray of the sun shot right across the wide plain before us till it reached the faraway crest of one of the tallest of the sullman mountains more than a hundred miles away.
\there it is!\ cried the dying man in portuguese, and pointing with his long, thin arm, but i shall never reach it, never. no one will ever reach it!
suddenly, he paused, and seemed to take a resolution. friend, he said, turning towards me, are you there? my eyes grow dark.
\yes,\ i said; yes, lie down now, and rest.
\ay,\ he answered, \i shall rest soon, i have time to rest - all eternity. listen, i am dying! you have been good to me. i will give you the writing. perhaps you will net there if you can live to cross the desert which has killed my poor

Explanation:

In the text, it describes Silvestre's appearance as having "no flesh" and "bones sticking up beneath", which are characteristics of being thin. The word "gaunt" is often used to describe a thin, haggard look.

Answer:

A. thin