What is the function of the base keyword?

The base keyword in object-oriented programming serves a specific purpose related to inheritance. It is used to access members (such as methods, properties, or constructors) of the base class from a derived class. When a derived class is created, it inherits the members of its base class, and sometimes it is necessary to explicitly refer to those inherited members, especially if the derived class has members that override them.

For example, if a derived class has a method that overrides a method in the base class, and you still want to call the base class's version of that method, you can use the base keyword. This is crucial for ensuring that the appropriate version of a method is invoked and for maintaining access to the functionality defined in the base class.

The other options presented do not accurately represent the function of the base keyword. Creating new objects is typically done through constructors or factory methods, stopping program execution relates to handling exceptions or terminating processes, and defining a new class is done using class declarations and not through the use of base. Hence, the choice relating to accessing members of the base class is the correct function of the base keyword.