单选题
Mankind's fascination with gold is as old as
civilization itself. The ancient Egyptians esteemed gold, which had religious
significance to them, and King Tutankhamun was buried in a solid-gold coffin
3300 years ago. The wandering Israelites worshipped 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 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 electronics
industry. People have always longed to possess gold.
Unfortunately, this longing has also brought out the worst in the human
character. The Spanish conquistadors robbed palaces, temples, and graves and
killed thousands of Indians in their ruthless search for 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 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.
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 precious metal. Historically, the
desire to hoard gold at home has been primarily an occupation of the working and
peasant classes, I 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.., to vote for gold."
单选题
Until the big gold discoveries in the late nineteenth century ______.
A. most nations adopted the gold standard
B. the trading nations were unable to get enough gold