Question

which meaning of lapse most closely matches its meaning in the following excerpt? ... there was the proper swearing - in of mr. summers by the postmaster, as the official of the lottery. at one time, some people remembered, there had been a recital of some sort, performed by the official of the lottery, a perfunctory, tuneless chant that had been rattled off duly each year, some people believed that the official of the lottery used to stand just so when he said or sang it, others believed that he was supposed to walk among the people, but years and years ago this part of the ritual had been allowed to lapse. a. noun | a temporary failure or loss of concentration b. noun | an interval of time c. verb | to come to an end, because of a lack of use or renewal d. verb | to fall into an inferior state or condition

Explanation:

In the context, the part of the lottery ritual that was once performed has stopped being done over the years due to lack of use. This aligns with the meaning of "lapse" as a verb meaning to come to an end because of a lack of use or renewal.

Answer:

C. verb | to come to an end, because of a lack of use or renewal