The correct answer is C.

A 32-bit word is made up of 4 bytes. Each byte is made up of 8 bits. So, to read a 32-bit word, the microprocessor needs to read 4 bytes. Since each byte is read in one operation, the microprocessor needs to perform 4 operations to read a 32-bit word.

Option A is incorrect because it is the number of operations required to read a single bit.

Option B is incorrect because it is the number of operations required to read two bytes.

Option D is incorrect because it is the number of operations required to read eight bits.

Option E is incorrect because it is not a valid option.