Studying wrappers from discontinued candies, menus from nineteenth-century restaurants, and flyers promoting long-forgotten sporting events may seem like a frivolous pursuit, but ephemeral objects like these are useful as markers of cultural change: they can ______ shifts in norms, values, and concerns that traditional objects of historical inquiry may not.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
Explanation
Context: Studying discontinued candy wrappers and old menus "may seem like a frivolous pursuit." But these ephemeral objects "can [blank] shifts in norms and expectations"—show them.
Answer: A) register
Why? Show = record. Register = record, indicate.
Traps:
- B) vindicate → means justify, different
- C) preclude → means prevent, different
- D) induce → means cause, different