The word "notwithstanding" in line 8 is closest in meaning to ______.A．in spite ofB．in add

The word "notwithstanding" in line 8 is closest in meaning to ______.

A．in spite of

B．in addition to

C．as a result of

D．as a part of

请帮忙给出正确答案和分析，谢谢！