ENGLISH Which statement BEST summarizes the passage and reflects the author\'s m
ID: 235235 • Letter: E
Question
ENGLISH
Which statement BEST summarizes the passage and reflects the author's main idea?
[1] The headlines tell it all. “Joining California's New Gold Rush” and “Gold Rush Fever Returns to the California Hills” are just a couple of the news captions that are documenting the renewed interest in panning for gold. Is it a return to the gold rush of 1849?
[2] Once hubs of mining activity, Columbia and Jamestown, California, are coming alive again as tourists and prospectors looking for gold flood the cities. People from all over the world arrive to purchase mining equipment and settle in, or to rent equipment and stay for a week or two. Either way, they are intent on finding gold, and the gold is there to be found.
[3] Jacques Pelletier, a forty-five-year mining veteran, explains, “There's still a whole lotta gold out there, but it's not easy to get at—for sure not as easy as for those '49ers. Most of the lodes today are subterranean.” Even with cutting-edge technology, the gold can be difficult to mine. That, however, does not keep some new '49ers from selling their homes and moving to California to seek their fortunes.
[4] Subterranean mining requires miners to go underground to excavate the precious metal. It is expensive, complicated, and dangerous. Basic equipment for underground mining includes rock picks, metal rakes, and crevice busters. Gold metal detectors, tool bags, and safety equipment are highly recommended, and the essentials alone can cost the amateur gold miner thousands of dollars.
[5] Even the most expensive safety equipment does not always protect miners from unusual conditions. Typically, mines are dark, humid, and often contain noxious gases. Miners must wear masks for protection against harmful fumes and head lamps to see where they are going—and the “where” is not always pretty. Miners may have to shimmy on their stomachs through narrow openings or work on their backs in cramped areas to chip away at the rock in their quest for gold. The ever-present threat of explosions or cave-ins adds to the danger of working underground. Yet this is where the mother lodes are, and some people will risk anything to hit the jackpot.
[6] Prospectors who opt to pan rather than mine for gold encounter less harsh conditions. Panning is considerably easier on the body than shimmying through cramped or narrow spaces. In an outdoor environment, the California miner panning for gold faces, at the worst, inclement weather. There is no threat of harmful gases or cave-ins.
[7] Furthermore, the equipment investment can be as low as $12 for a complete panning kit. Reasonably priced campgrounds, some that offer panning lessons, add to the enjoyment. No wonder tourists arrive with their families to pan for gold.
[8] So, why all the hoopla about gold mining? The answer is simple: money. In 2008, gold prices reached a record high of $1,000 an ounce. Dell Terrell, a Sacramento entrepreneur who sells and trades mining equipment, maintains, “Gold's always been a useful financial resource, and it's at the high end of the scale right now. What will happen in one week, two weeks in petroleum, who knows, but gold will always be stable. If you have gold you can always get a pair of jeans and a burger. What can be more important than that?” The bottom line is that oil and commodity prices may fluctuate drastically, but gold is always a sure thing.
[9] With the security of “a sure thing,” people have a renewed interest in finding gold. As in the gold rush of 1849, some people will make it rich, some will find enough gold to fund their adventure, and others will leave California disappointed. The fate of the miners will be revealed as the history of the new gold rush unfolds.
Explanation / Answer
Correct option is D as it is mentioned in passage that due to rise in gold prices more and more people are moving to california .thank you
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