Question

studying advertisements for defunct amusement parks, menus from nineteenth-century restaurants, and handbills promoting long-forgotten political candidates may seem like a frivolous pursuit, but ephemeral objects like these are useful as ____ cultural change, revealing 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? a. alternatives to b. conjectures about c. indices of d. pretexts for

Explanation:

• Option A: "alternatives to" implies replacing cultural change, illogical here.
• Option B: "conjectures about" means guessing, but the objects reveal actual shifts, not guesses.
• Option C: "indices of" means signs/indicators. These ephemeral objects can indicate cultural change (showing shifts), which fits.
• Option D: "pretexts for" means excuses, irrelevant to revealing cultural change.

Answer:

C. indices of