Summary

Q. Identify and write down the points in the passage which describe the
ways in which gold was important down through the ages and explain the
uses and attractions of gold in modern times.

Pieces of gold were exchanged as a system of payment which replaced

bartering. Gold coins were used as a way to conduct transactions because
they are easy to count. Gold was considered to have medicinal properties in
Ancient China. It was used in Etruscan dentistry for aesthetic purposes
rather than repair work. In Europe molten gold with crushed emeralds was
considered a cure for plague. Not only the Egyptians but also the Incas
believed gold represented their sun gods. In Egypt it was the skin of their
sun god, Ra, and with the Incas gold was the tears of the sun. In the Jewish
Old Testament gold has 400 references. Gold was used to make jewellery
because of its beautiful colour. Greeks practised alchemy for2 000 years
which became the foundation of modern chemistry. In modern dentistry
gold is used because it has aesthetic properties. In modern medicine it is
implanted in human tissue in radiation therapy to treat cancers. Many
surgical instruments are made of gold because it does not corrode. Not only
is it used for instruments but also electronics because it conducts
electricity. Gold is used in the manufacture of space crafts because it is
highly dependable and doesn’t need maintenance.