SECTION 1 - READING COMPREHENSION

Read the text carefully and answer the questions that follow. Choose the most
appropriate answer.

Gold has remained a very precious metal over time. Why has man since the beginning of
history placed so much value on gold? We can probably think of three rather obvious reasons:
its beauty, usefulness and rareness. In fact, if iron were as rare as gold, its value would be
raised considerably.

Gold is a soft, yellow metal. It is one of the heaviest chemical elements. Because of its
softness and malleability, it is one of the most easily worked metals. Furthermore, as well as its
distinct color make gold a prized metal. Hence, from the earliest civilizations gold has been a
valued ornament sought after not only by women but also men.

Unlike most metals, gold does not tarnish when it comes into contact with air. Silver, when
left lying around, needs to be cleaned and polished to get rid of ugly stains. Gold, however,
remains bright and shining indefinitely. Historians speculate that this may have been why our
forefathers valued it. It is also one of the least chemically active metals. It reacts only with a
few acids. Its resistance to corrosion and non-reactivity to other elements add to its worth.

The most important use of gold in the past was probably as money. Gold coins were minted
by early governments and they were highly prized for themselves and accepted widely as
currency. Although coins were also made from other metals, their values were often
questioned; but the value of gold coins never was.

By the outbreak of World War 1, gold was the measuring yard for almost all the currencies in
use. The American dollar, the French franc and the British pound all had a set of value in
terms of gold. In this way, people could measure the relative value of their own currencies. At
any time, the currencies could be converted to gold. This system known as the gold standard
is no longer practised. However, gold remains a very powerful force in international trade. It
is used as a ‘reserve’ to back up a country’s standing in international trade. Besides that, gold
is largely used to make jewellery. A small percentage goes into dental work and since it is a
good conductor of electricity, it is also used in making certain electrical equipment.

Till a decade ago, South Africa was the largest producer of gold. Now over 90 countries
produce gold worldwide with China, Australia, North America and Russia leading the way.
Yet, it is still considered a scarce metal as only about 200,000 tonnes of gold are in existence
above ground. In fact, if iron were as rare as gold, its value would be raised considerably.
Thus, it remains a valuable metal for mankind.
Section A

Answer all the questions below in complete sentences.

1. State THREE characteristics of gold.

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2. How is gold different from silver?

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3. Why has so much value been placed on gold over time?

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4. What does ‘gold standard’ mean?

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5. What does the writer imply by ‘In fact, if iron were......raised considerably’ (para 6, second
last sentence)?

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Section B

What do the following words found in the passage refer to?

1. its (line 3): _______________________________________________________________

2. they (line 16): ____________________________________________________________

3. their (line 18): ____________________________________________________________

4. this (line 21): _____________________________________________________________

5. its (line 32) : ______________________________________________________________

Section C

For each of the following words, write your own sentence to show its meaning.

1. precious (line 1)

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2. prized (line 6):

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3. indefinitely (line 11)

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4. reserve (line 24)

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5. scarce (line 31)

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