Question

read the question carefully and select the best answer
in charles, what is the meaning of lapses most closely matches its meaning in the following excerpt (paragraphs 68-69)?
were all so interested in laura, she said
well, he certainly likes kindergarten, i said. he talks about it all the time.
we had a little trouble adjusting, the first week or so, she said primly, but now hes a fine helper. with occasional lapses, of course.
laura usually adjusts very quickly, i said. i suppose this time its charless influence.
o with | pass gradually into an inferior state or position
o noun | an interval or passage of time
o verb | become invalid because something is not used, claimed or is going to expire
o noun | a temporary failure of concentration, memory or judgment

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the context of "lapses" in the excerpt: "With occasional lapses, of course." The surrounding text talks about a child being a good helper but with some temporary failures in concentration, memory, or judgment. Let's analyze each option:

• "verb | pass gradually into a new state or position": This doesn't fit as "lapses" here is a noun (occasional lapses) and the meaning of transitioning states doesn't match.
• "noun | an interval or passage of time": This is not related to the context of occasional mistakes or failures.
• "verb | become invalid because something is not used, claimed or is going to expire": The context is about temporary failures, not invalidity due to non - use/expiry.
• "noun | a temporary failure of concentration, memory or judgment": This matches the context of occasional lapses (temporary failures) in the child's behavior as a helper.

Answer:

noun | a temporary failure of concentration, memory or judgment