Anyone who pans for gold hopes to be rewarded by the glitter of colors in the fine material collected in the bottom of the pan. Although the exercise and outdoor activity experienced in prospecting are rewarding, there are few thrills comparable to finding gold.  Even an assay report showing an appreciable content of gold in a sample obtained from a lode deposit is exciting.  The would-be prospector hoping for financial gain, however, should carefully consider all the pertinent facts before deciding on a prospecting venture.

Only a few prospectors among the many thousands who searched the western part of the United States ever found a valuable deposit.  Most of the gold mining districts in the West were located by pioneers, many of whom were experienced gold miners from the southern Appalachian region, but even in colonial times only a small proportion of gold seekers were successful.  Over the past several centuries the country has been thoroughly searched by prospectors.  During the depression of the 1930s, prospectors searched the better-known gold-producing areas throughout the nation, especially in the West, and the little-known areas as well.  The results of their activities have never been fully documented, but incomplete records indicate that an extremely small percentage of the total number of active prospectors supported themselves by gold mining.  Of the few significant discoveries reported, nearly all were made by prospectors of long experience who were familiar with the regions in which they were working.

The lack of outstanding success in spite of the great increase in prospecting during the depression of the 1930s confirms the opinion of those most familiar with the occurrence of gold and the development of gold mining districts that the best chances of success lie in systematic studies of known productive areas rather than in efforts to discover gold in hitherto unproductive areas.  The development of new, highly sensitive, and relatively inexpensive methods of detecting gold, however, has greatly increased the possibility of discovering gold deposits which are too low grade to have been recognized earlier by the prospector using only a gold pan.

Which of the following would be the best title for the above passage?

Anyone who pans for gold hopes to be rewarded by the glitter of colors in the fine material collected in the bottom of the pan. Although the exercise and outdoor activity experienced in prospecting are rewarding, there are few thrills comparable to finding gold.  Even an assay report showing an appreciable content of gold in a sample obtained from a lode deposit is exciting.  The would-be prospector hoping for financial gain, however, should carefully consider all the pertinent facts before deciding on a prospecting venture.

Only a few prospectors among the many thousands who searched the western part of the United States ever found a valuable deposit.  Most of the gold mining districts in the West were located by pioneers, many of whom were experienced gold miners from the southern Appalachian region, but even in colonial times only a small proportion of gold seekers were successful.  Over the past several centuries the country has been thoroughly searched by prospectors.  During the depression of the 1930s, prospectors searched the better-known gold-producing areas throughout the nation, especially in the West, and the little-known areas as well.  The results of their activities have never been fully documented, but incomplete records indicate that an extremely small percentage of the total number of active prospectors supported themselves by gold mining.  Of the few significant discoveries reported, nearly all were made by prospectors of long experience who were familiar with the regions in which they were working.

The lack of outstanding success in spite of the great increase in prospecting during the depression of the 1930s confirms the opinion of those most familiar with the occurrence of gold and the development of gold mining districts that the best chances of success lie in systematic studies of known productive areas rather than in efforts to discover gold in hitherto unproductive areas.  The development of new, highly sensitive, and relatively inexpensive methods of detecting gold, however, has greatly increased the possibility of discovering gold deposits which are too low grade to have been recognized earlier by the prospector using only a gold pan.

With regard to the future of gold mining, the above passage suggests which of the following?

Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations.  Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones.  Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers or sewage sludge-based fertilizers, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation.  Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet federal organic standards.  Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too.

No organization claims that organically produced food is safer or more nutritious than conventionally produced food.  Organic food differs from conventionally produced food in the way it is grown, handled, and processed.  At the supermarket, in order to distinguish organically produced food from conventionally produced food, consumers must look at package labels and watch for display signs.  Along with the national organic standards, there are strict labeling rules to help consumers know the exact organic content of the food they buy.  An official seal also tells you that a product is at least 95% organic.

The word "organic" and a small sticker version of the Official Organic seal will be on organic vegetables or pieces of fruit, or they may appear on the sign above the organic produce display.  The word "organic" and the seal may also appear on packages of meat, cartons of milk or eggs, cheese, and other single-ingredient foods.

"Natural" foods are not necessarily organic foods.  Truthful claims, such as "free-range," "hormone-free," and "natural," can still appear on food labels.  However, this does not mean that they are "organic." Only food labeled "organic" has been certified as meeting government organic standards.

According to the above passage, organic farming is helpful because

Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations.  Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones.  Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers or sewage sludge-based fertilizers, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation.  Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet federal organic standards.  Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too.

No organization claims that organically produced food is safer or more nutritious than conventionally produced food.  Organic food differs from conventionally produced food in the way it is grown, handled, and processed.  At the supermarket, in order to distinguish organically produced food from conventionally produced food, consumers must look at package labels and watch for display signs.  Along with the national organic standards, there are strict labeling rules to help consumers know the exact organic content of the food they buy.  An official seal also tells you that a product is at least 95% organic.

The word "organic" and a small sticker version of the Official Organic seal will be on organic vegetables or pieces of fruit, or they may appear on the sign above the organic produce display.  The word "organic" and the seal may also appear on packages of meat, cartons of milk or eggs, cheese, and other single-ingredient foods.

"Natural" foods are not necessarily organic foods.  Truthful claims, such as "free-range," "hormone-free," and "natural," can still appear on food labels.  However, this does not mean that they are "organic." Only food labeled "organic" has been certified as meeting government organic standards.

According to the above passage, in order for his products to be considered organic, a farmer must do which of the following?

Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations.  Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones.  Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers or sewage sludge-based fertilizers, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation.  Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet federal organic standards.  Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too.

No organization claims that organically produced food is safer or more nutritious than conventionally produced food.  Organic food differs from conventionally produced food in the way it is grown, handled, and processed.  At the supermarket, in order to distinguish organically produced food from conventionally produced food, consumers must look at package labels and watch for display signs.  Along with the national organic standards, there are strict labeling rules to help consumers know the exact organic content of the food they buy.  An official seal also tells you that a product is at least 95% organic.

The word "organic" and a small sticker version of the Official Organic seal will be on organic vegetables or pieces of fruit, or they may appear on the sign above the organic produce display.  The word "organic" and the seal may also appear on packages of meat, cartons of milk or eggs, cheese, and other single-ingredient foods.

"Natural" foods are not necessarily organic foods.  Truthful claims, such as "free-range," "hormone-free," and "natural," can still appear on food labels.  However, this does not mean that they are "organic." Only food labeled "organic" has been certified as meeting government organic standards.

According to the above passage, how can a person identify an organically-produced food?

Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations.  Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones.  Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers or sewage sludge-based fertilizers, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation.  Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet federal organic standards.  Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too.

No organization claims that organically produced food is safer or more nutritious than conventionally produced food.  Organic food differs from conventionally produced food in the way it is grown, handled, and processed.  At the supermarket, in order to distinguish organically produced food from conventionally produced food, consumers must look at package labels and watch for display signs.  Along with the national organic standards, there are strict labeling rules to help consumers know the exact organic content of the food they buy.  An official seal also tells you that a product is at least 95% organic.

The word "organic" and a small sticker version of the Official Organic seal will be on organic vegetables or pieces of fruit, or they may appear on the sign above the organic produce display.  The word "organic" and the seal may also appear on packages of meat, cartons of milk or eggs, cheese, and other single-ingredient foods.

"Natural" foods are not necessarily organic foods.  Truthful claims, such as "free-range," "hormone-free," and "natural," can still appear on food labels.  However, this does not mean that they are "organic." Only food labeled "organic" has been certified as meeting government organic standards.

According to the above passage, which of the following ensures that foods are organic?

To understand what the Everglades is today, you need to know what it once was.  The pristine Everglades was a wetland that spanned the state of Florida south of Lake Okeechobee, about 2.9 million acres of mostly peatland covered by tall saw grass growing in shallow water.  When the lake was full, water overflowed into the northern Everglades and moved slowly to the south in a 50-mile-wide sheet, a foot deep.  In the 1880s people began to drain the Kissimmee River-Lake Okeechobee-Everglades watershed.  Drainage exposed the organic muck soil, whicdh produced extraordinary crop yields.

Today more than 50% of the historic Everglades has been eliminated.  More than 1,400 miles of draingage canals and levees have been constructed in and around the Everglades for flood control. Widespread population growth and land-use modification for agriculture and industry have altered the natural wetlands, affecting the quantity and quality of drinking water and increasing human exposure to hydrologic hazards such as floods.  Chemicals used in farming, including fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides, now often leak into the groundwater or nearby surface waters.  Storm-water runoff from urban areas commonly transports heavy metals and nutrients into canals and the Biscayne aquifer.

The last 100 years have been tremendous change in the Everglades.  Today the flow of water is controlled by a complex management system that includes canals, levees, and pumps.  The Everglades has been called "the biggest artificial plumbing system in the world."

From the above passage, it can be inferred that

To understand what the Everglades is today, you need to know what it once was.  The pristine Everglades was a wetland that spanned the state of Florida south of Lake Okeechobee, about 2.9 million acres of mostly peatland covered by tall saw grass growing in shallow water.  When the lake was full, water overflowed into the northern Everglades and moved slowly to the south in a 50-mile-wide sheet, a foot deep.  In the 1880s people began to drain the Kissimmee River-Lake Okeechobee-Everglades watershed.  Drainage exposed the organic muck soil, whicdh produced extraordinary crop yields.

Today more than 50% of the historic Everglades has been eliminated.  More than 1,400 miles of draingage canals and levees have been constructed in and around the Everglades for flood control. Widespread population growth and land-use modification for agriculture and industry have altered the natural wetlands, affecting the quantity and quality of drinking water and increasing human exposure to hydrologic hazards such as floods.  Chemicals used in farming, including fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides, now often leak into the groundwater or nearby surface waters.  Storm-water runoff from urban areas commonly transports heavy metals and nutrients into canals and the Biscayne aquifer.

The last 100 years have been tremendous change in the Everglades.  Today the flow of water is controlled by a complex management system that includes canals, levees, and pumps.  The Everglades has been called "the biggest artificial plumbing system in the world."

According to the above passage, which of the following has been the cause of the shrinking of the Everglades?

To understand what the Everglades is today, you need to know what it once was.  The pristine Everglades was a wetland that spanned the state of Florida south of Lake Okeechobee, about 2.9 million acres of mostly peatland covered by tall saw grass growing in shallow water.  When the lake was full, water overflowed into the northern Everglades and moved slowly to the south in a 50-mile-wide sheet, a foot deep.  In the 1880s people began to drain the Kissimmee River-Lake Okeechobee-Everglades watershed.  Drainage exposed the organic muck soil, whicdh produced extraordinary crop yields.

Today more than 50% of the historic Everglades has been eliminated.  More than 1,400 miles of draingage canals and levees have been constructed in and around the Everglades for flood control. Widespread population growth and land-use modification for agriculture and industry have altered the natural wetlands, affecting the quantity and quality of drinking water and increasing human exposure to hydrologic hazards such as floods.  Chemicals used in farming, including fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides, now often leak into the groundwater or nearby surface waters.  Storm-water runoff from urban areas commonly transports heavy metals and nutrients into canals and the Biscayne aquifer.

The last 100 years have been tremendous change in the Everglades.  Today the flow of water is controlled by a complex management system that includes canals, levees, and pumps.  The Everglades has been called "the biggest artificial plumbing system in the world."

Why is the Everglades called "the biggest artificial plumbing system in the world"?

To understand what the Everglades is today, you need to know what it once was.  The pristine Everglades was a wetland that spanned the state of Florida south of Lake Okeechobee, about 2.9 million acres of mostly peatland covered by tall saw grass growing in shallow water.  When the lake was full, water overflowed into the northern Everglades and moved slowly to the south in a 50-mile-wide sheet, a foot deep.  In the 1880s people began to drain the Kissimmee River-Lake Okeechobee-Everglades watershed.  Drainage exposed the organic muck soil, whicdh produced extraordinary crop yields.

Today more than 50% of the historic Everglades has been eliminated.  More than 1,400 miles of draingage canals and levees have been constructed in and around the Everglades for flood control. Widespread population growth and land-use modification for agriculture and industry have altered the natural wetlands, affecting the quantity and quality of drinking water and increasing human exposure to hydrologic hazards such as floods.  Chemicals used in farming, including fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides, now often leak into the groundwater or nearby surface waters.  Storm-water runoff from urban areas commonly transports heavy metals and nutrients into canals and the Biscayne aquifer.

The last 100 years have been tremendous change in the Everglades.  Today the flow of water is controlled by a complex management system that includes canals, levees, and pumps.  The Everglades has been called "the biggest artificial plumbing system in the world."

According to the above passage, what was the first event resulting in the elimination of much of the Everglades?