16. Read the following passage and answer the
question that follow
Mankind’s fascination with gold is as old as
civilization itself. The ancient Egyptians esteemed
gold, which had religious significance to them, and
king ‘Tutankhamum’ was buried in a solid-gold
coffin 3500 years ago. The wandering Israelites
worshiped a golden calf, and the legendary king
Midas asked that everything he touched be turned
into gold. Not only is gold beautiful, but it is virtually
indestructible. It will not rust or corrode; gold
coins and products fabricated from the metal have
survived undamaged for centuries. Gold is
extremely easy to work with; one ounce, which is
about the size of a cube of sugar, can be beaten
into a sheet nearly 100 square feet in size, and
becomes so thin that light passes through it, An
ounce of gold can also be stretched into a wire
50 miles long. Gold conducts electricity better than
any other substance except copper and silver, and
it is particularly important in the modern
electronic industry.
People have always longed to possess gold.
Unfortunately, this longing has also brought out
the worst in the human character. The Spanish
conquistadores robbed places, temples and graves,
and killed thousands of Indians in their ruthless
search of gold. Often the only rule in young
California during the days of the gold rush was
exercised by the mob with a rope. Even today, the
economic running of South Africa’s gold mines
depends largely on the employment of the black
laborers who are paid about £ 40 a month, plus
room and board and who must work in conditions
that can only be described as cruel. About 400
miners are killed in mine accidents in South
Africa each year, or one for every two tons of gold
produced. Much of gold’s value lies in its scarcity.
Only about 80,000 tons have been mined in the
history of the world. All of it could be stored in a
vault 60 feet square, or a super tanker. Great Britain was the first country to adopt the
gold standard, when the Master of the Mint, Sir
Isaac Newton, established a fixed price for gold in
1717. But until the big discoveries of gold in the
last half of the nineteenth century – starting in
California in 1848 and later in Australia and
South Africa – there simply wasn’t enough gold
around for all the trading nations to link their
currencies to the previous metal.
An out-of-work prospector named George Harrison
launched South Africa into the gold age in 1886
when he discovered the metal on a farm near what
is now Johannesburg. Harrison was given a £ 12
reward by the farmer. He then disappeared and
reportedly was eaten by a lion.
One of the big gold-mining areas in the Soviet
Union is the Kolyma River region, once in famous
for its prison camp. The camp has gone, but in a
way nothing has changed. Many ex-prisoners have
stayed on to work in the miners and are
supervised by ex-guards.
Despite the current rush to buy gold, 75 percent of
the metal goes into jewellery. Italy is the biggest
user of gold for this purpose, and many Italian
jewellers even tear up their wooden floors and
burn them to recover the tiny flecks of gold. Historically the desire to hoard gold at home has
been primarily an occupation of the working and
peasant classes, who have no faith in paper
money. George Bernard Shaw defended their
instincts eloquently: ‘You have to choose between
trusting to the natural stability of gold and the
natural stability of the honesty and intelligence of
the members of the Government’, he said, ‘and
with due respect to these gentlemen. I advise
you.... for gold’.
Answer the following questions:
(a) One of the disadvantages of the gold is that
(i) it loses its shape too easily
(ii) it is easy to destroy
(iii) it is expensive to mine
(iv) it is of no use in industry.
(b) Gold has always been considered a precious
metal because
(i) money is made for it
(ii) it is rare
(iii) a small quantity goes a long way
(iv) it is of no use in industry
(b) Gold has always been considered a precious
metal because
(i) money is made for it
(ii) it is rare
(iii) a small quantity goes a long way
(iv) it is of no use in industry
(c) After the big gold discoveries in the late
nineteenth century
(i) most nations adopted the gold standard
(ii) the trading nations were unable to get
enough gold
(iii) gold coins were used by most nations
(iv) gold ceased to be an important metal.
(d) The gold standard is
(i) the average price of gold on the world
market
(ii) a basis for determining the value of
currency
(ii) the amount of gold required by a nation
before its currency can be convertible
(iv) a means of determining the quality of
gold
State whether the following statements are true or
false:
(e) Gold was of no use of the Egyptians.
(f) It is extremely difficult to destroy gold.
(g) Gold is a poor conductor of electricity.
Answers
Answered by
1
Answer:
gold was of no use of the Egyptians
Answered by
0
Answer:
Gold is frequently utilised as an insulating material since it has a poor conductivity for electricity.
Explanation:
Is Gold is an insulating material?
- One of the disadvantages of the gold is that It is expensive to mine.
- Gold has long been regarded as a valuable metal because of how uncommon and expensive it is. It can be used to generate income, and a little gold can go a long way. Gold is also a metal with no industrial application, which increases its value.
- Gold is a precious metal that has been used historically as money, jewellery, and an investment. It has always been a highly sought-after substance because of its shine and colour, even in antiquity.
- e False. For making jewellery and other decorative goods, the Egyptians used gold extensively.
- (f) False. By melting it down or using chemicals, gold can be largely destroyed.
- (g) True. Gold frequently serves as an insulating material since it is a bad conductor of electricity. Due to its strong corrosion and oxidation resistance, this characteristic also makes it appealing in the electronics industry.
To learn more about Gold is frequently utilised as an insulating material refer to:
https://brainly.in/question/385623
https://brainly.in/question/4542194
#SPJ2
Similar questions