Question

read the paragraph, then choose the word that best completes the sentence.
in 1843, copper was discovered in tennessee and mining in the area began. this area, called copper basin,
contained three large veins of copper. the technology used then was so environmentally harmful that copper
basin has since been called the greatest human - made ecological disaster of all time. the minerals in copper basin
were extracted with dynamite, which was uncontrollable and caused many cave - ins. wood was burned to smelt
the ore, which stripped nearly 50 square miles (130 square kilometers) of timber. processing the copper created
sulfur dioxide gas, which created acid rain, and the acid rain killed much of the remaining trees. rainwater
washed the loose silt away, leaving the soil useless.
the mining was ________.
a destructive
b profitable
c erratic
d informative

Explanation:

The paragraph describes how mining in Copper Basin caused cave - ins, stripped timber, created acid rain that killed trees, and left the soil useless. These are all negative and destructive impacts.

• Option A: "destructive" means causing destruction. The mining activities led to environmental disasters like cave - ins, loss of timber, acid rain, and soil degradation, which are clearly destructive.
• Option B: There is no mention of profitability in the text. The focus is on the environmental harm, not financial gain.
• Option C: "erratic" means not following a regular pattern. The text does not describe the mining as being irregular in its operation; it describes the negative consequences.
• Option D: "informative" means providing information. The text is not about the mining being a source of information but about its negative environmental impacts.

Answer:

A. destructive