The California Gold Rush was not the only one ever. In fact, since 2001, a new gold rush has been taking the world by storm. In Australia, India, South America, and California, regular people are once again searching rivers, mountains, and ocean floors, hoping to strike it rich.
Prospectors from previous gold rushes couldn't have found all the gold. In California, despite the huge amount of gold unearthed during the Gold Rush of 1848, geologists estimate that 80 percent of the state's gold still remains unearthed. In other parts of the world, trillions of dollars of gold lies waiting to be discovered by anyone with a pick, a pan, and a bit of patience.
If so much gold has been sitting in the ground all this time, why is everyone suddenly rushing to find it only now? Due to the worldwide economic recession, people have been losing confidence in the value of paper money and are looking for investments that keep their value. This has sent the price of gold skyrocketing. As of the end of 2011, an ounce of gold goes for US$1,800, which has been a sevenfold increase since 2001.
Unfortunately, these new gold rushes have had a negative impact on the environment. In Indonesia, hundreds of illegal claims have sprung up, destroying parks and tourist areas. In the Amazon, 40,000 miners have swarmed the area, leaving a wake of destruction behind them. As has been the case throughout history, gold rush fever will most likely benefit a few lucky miners, while everyone else will be left holding their pans.
1. Which was NOT a way people went to California during the Gold Rush?
(A) Sailing all the way from the Far East.
(B) Taking a boat journey for half a year or longer.
(C) Traveling by passenger plane.
(D) Going on a very dangerous cross-country journey from the East Coast.
2. What was ironic about Marshall?
(A) He helped increase the value of gold.
(B) He was the one that started the Gold Rush but died broke.
(C) He died of a heart attack upon finding a huge amount of gold.
(D) He lived in a small cabin even after he discovered gold and became rich.
3. What's the reason behind all the recent gold rushes?
(A) People are unemployed, so they have nothing better to do.
(B) People want to travel to exotic locations around the globe.
(C) The value of gold has increased a lot over the past decade.
(D) People prefer to pay for things in gold instead of cash now.
4. What is the author's opinion on the new gold rushes?
(A) They are quick and easy ways to get rich.
(B) They are great ways for people to populate new areas.
(C) New tourist spots have emerged because of the gold rushes.
(D) Very few people find enough gold to better themselves, and it's usually terrible for the environment.
历史上唯一的淘金热。事实上，自 2001 年开始，一股新的淘金热已经席卷全球。在澳洲、印度、南美洲还有加州，一般人又再次探索河流、山岭还有海底，希望能一夕致富。
先前淘金热的采矿者不可能把所有的黄金都挖光。在加州，尽管已经有大量的黄金于 1848 年的淘金热被开采出来，地质学家估计加州仍有百分之八十的藏金量有待开采。而在世界上的其他角落，价值数兆的黄金仍静待人们用十字镐、淘金盘再加上一点点的耐心，把它们挖掘出来。
如果这么多黄金一直存在于地底下，为什么到现在大家才突然急着挖掘它们呢？因为全球景气衰退，人们对纸币价值的信心不断丧失，转而寻求能保值的投资。金价因此而飙升。2011年底，1 盎司的黄金售价为 1,800 美元，自 2001 年起已经涨了 7 倍。
遗憾的是，这股新的淘金热潮对环境造成了负面的影响。在印度尼西亚，数百件的违法侵占案件发生，公园与旅游景点因而遭到破坏。在亚马逊地区，4万名矿工涌入，留下了破坏的痕迹。就如同历史上发生过的前例，通常只有少数的幸运儿在淘金热中受惠，徒留其他人拿着淘金盘，一无所获。
答案：1. (C)2. (B)3. (C)4. (D)
美国纽约街头果真『遍地是黄金』！据媒体报导，现年 43 岁的史坦．帕尼安（Raffi Stepanian）在纽约街上以『淘金』为生。眼尖的他常在人行道角落和缝隙间，以小镊子拾起遭人遗落的珠宝零件，或将缝隙间的淤泥以抹刀挖起搜集，放入水盆中过滤、筛洗出贵重金属和宝石钻石碎屑。他说：『这附近街道上蕴含的黄金，密集度比矿坑还高。』
史坦．帕尼安数年前担任镶钻师时，意外发现钻石交易所地板上常有黄金等碎屑。他灵机一动，认定室内既然有，室外一定也有，于是展开街道淘金生涯。他表示，这跟在街上拾荒换钱没两样，只不过收入更丰。
附近珠宝商打趣，那些珠宝黄金碎屑『搞不好一半都是我的』。帕尼安笑称：『我可能会在纽约街头掀起一波淘金热潮。』（数据源：苹果日报）
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