Answer: d) asserts positively
Step-by-step explanation:
The word or phrase that is most nearly the same in meaning as "avouches" in the context of the selection "The Prologue from The Canterbury Tales" is "asserts positively." To avouch means to assert or declare something confidently and positively. It implies a strong affirmation or endorsement of a statement or claim. Similarly, when someone "asserts positively," they are making a confident and unequivocal statement or claim. In the context of "The Prologue from The Canterbury Tales," the word "avouches" is used to describe how the narrator asserts or affirms the truthfulness and reliability of the stories he will tell. This indicates a strong and confident declaration, aligning with the meaning of "asserts positively."