Here, 'sky-gripping fortresses' are

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the question that follows by selecting the most appropriate option.
1.        Dust-caked clouds coated the bay, tanker ships signalled.
2.       Dozens of us wearily pressed on through the unseasonal winds and blanketed chill. Outdoor cafe chairs were abandoned, some overturned and others stacked waiting to tumble down. But not today. My bag felt heavier on my shoulder than ever before. I lifted it in my hand to relieve the pressure and dreamed of days when I, too, was lighter.
3.        My mind wandered.
4.        Another year gone.
5.       I tripped through a wall of pedestrians, then suddenly a moving bus carelessly littered me down into the curb. My tear-stained eyes searched for an angel on the concrete surface, but the illuminated white crossing hand signalled my insignificance.
6.       I pushed myself up, bruised and filthy. A horn quickly warned me of approaching death, then the yellow taxi sped through the red bulb. Sighing, I checked each direction, brushing waste from my body as I joined a new crowd and made the final push across the last road. I hoisted my bag, checked. for my office keys, then entered one of the many sky-gripping fortresses of the financial district.
7.        Back to work.