Final answer:
The correct group of words that are built around a similar morpheme is option d, which includes 'malware,' 'malignant,' 'malicious,' and 'malfeasance.' All of these words share the prefix 'mal-,' signifying 'bad' or 'evil.'
Step-by-step explanation:
Upon examining the groups of words provided, we can determine which set is constructed around a common morpheme. A morpheme is the smallest grammatical unit in a language, and it carries meaning. In this case, we are looking for a set of words that share a common root or prefix.
Option a, which includes 'civilian,' 'civilization,' 'civilized,' and 'civic,' has words built around the morpheme related to 'civil,' which concerns citizens or the community. Option b, with 'uninterested,' 'unit,' 'uniform,' 'unimportant,' is not cohesive; the words do not share a central morpheme other than the prefix 'un-', which is not the root of meaning.
Option c includes 'above,' 'abstract,' 'abuse,' and 'about,' and these words do not share a base morpheme that signifies a core meaning. Lastly, option d comprises 'malware,' 'malignant,' 'malicious,' 'malfeasance,' all sharing the prefix 'mal-,' which derives from Latin and means 'bad' or 'evil.'
Therefore, the correct option is d, as the words 'malware,' 'malignant,' 'malicious,' and 'malfeasance' are built around the morpheme 'mal-.' This prefix indicates a negative or harmful connotation, linking these words semantically.