To answer this question, the user needs to have knowledge about programming concepts, particularly about delegates.

The correct answer is:

B. a class that encapsulates methods

Explanation:

In .NET programming, a delegate is a type that defines a method signature. It encapsulates one or more methods, allowing them to be passed around as objects. A delegate is a reference type that can be used to encapsulate a named or an anonymous method. Delegates are used extensively in event handling and call-back scenarios, where they provide a way to define a method to be called when a certain event occurs. Thus, option B is the correct answer.

Option A is incorrect because a delegate is not related to a Washington representative.

Option C is incorrect because a delegate does not provide a means of passing arrays into methods.

Option D is incorrect because a delegate is not a substitute for an inherited method.