SAT OwlQuestion bank / Words in Context
The museum's new exhibit on ancient Egypt has drawn record crowds. Rather than focusing on royal tombs and treasures, it displays everyday objects such as combs, sandals, and board games, which curators say capture the texture of ordinary people's lives.
As used in the text, what does the word "capture" most nearly mean?
seize
convey
win
trap
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B
The curators mean that everyday objects show what ordinary life was like. In this sense, "capture" means to represent or "convey" something accurately.
Choice A, "seize," is the most common meaning of "capture," but objects cannot take hold of people's lives; they can only show what those lives were like.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. This uses the literal meaning of grabbing or taking hold. Objects cannot physically seize people's lives; they only represent or show what those lives were like.
- C. This implies achieving victory or gaining an advantage. The objects do not compete against or defeat the texture of ordinary life; they simply illustrate it.
- D. This suggests holding something in a confined space. The objects do not imprison or restrict the texture of life; they accurately represent it for viewers.
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