La Rinconada

What does this imagery most emphasize about the setting?

• the destruction caused by mining operations

• the terrible smell caused by lack of plumbing

• the surprising beauty in the midst of ugliness

• the way extreme temperatures affect the landscape

What important idea do the sensory details in this excerpt convey most clearly?

• There is beauty to be found in all places.

• The demand for gold is leading to global violence.

• La Rinconada and its people pay a high price for others' luxury.

• The government of Peru has abandoned the people of La Rinconada.

The author of "In La Rinconada, Peru, Searching for Beauty in Ugliness" implies that early stories about the amount of gold available may have been exaggerated. Which excerpt from the text best supports this idea?

• Down the centuries, the quest for El Dorado has held the South American continent in thrall, luring generations of fortune hunters to its far reaches

• The geologic exuberance known as the Cordillera of the Andes has yielded a fount of treasure...

• Nowhere has Peru's frenzy for gold been so fevered as in the mountains that surround Lake Titicaca

• Gold no longer rolls from the mountain in chunks the size of a man's head (if indeed it ever did)

A reader of “In La Rinconada, Peru, Searching for Beauty in Ugliness” can conclude that the company overseeing mining at La Rinconada does not care about the workers there. Which details from the text best support this conclusion? Choose three options.

• Electricity was installed only to fuel the mine machinery.

• The king’s mines from the 1700s collapsed under the weight of glaciers.

• Multinational companies are setting up mining operations in other places.

• Mined ore is washed with cyanide and pounded with mercury.

• Usually mild-mannered locals expressed rage about mining conditions in the area.

Read this excerpt from "In La Rinconada, Peru, Searching for Beauty in Ugliness."
I suddenly saw the tin rooftops gleam like a mantle of diamonds. As the sun moved over the snow, the ravished mountain seemed to ripple with ribbons of color.
To which sense do these details appeal?

• taste

• sight

• smell

• touch

As explained in "In La Rinconada, Peru, Searching for Beauty in Ugliness," why did the locals that live below La Rinconada form furious protests?

• they wanted all mining operations to leave the area

• they wanted mining operations to be safer for locals

• they wanted the Peruvian military to leave their land

• they wanted La Rinconada restored to its original beauty

What surprising thing does the author of “In La Rinconada, Peru, Searching for Beauty in Ugliness” witness on her trip?

• beautiful landscapes

• hunger and hardship

• environmental destruction

• fleeting moments of joy

According to “In La Rinconada, Peru, Searching for Beauty in Ugliness,” why do government officials rarely visit La Rinconada?

• There are no luxury hotels for visitors to stay in.

• The people there are so angry that officials would feel unwelcome.

• Thin air and bitter cold make the place uninviting.

• Mining companies have made safe travel to the peak difficult.

According to the author of “In La Rinconada, Peru, Searching for Beauty in Ugliness,” how has the landscape at La Rinconada changed? Choose three options.

• There used to be grassland.

• There used to be leaping fish.

• There used to be sparkling lakes.

• There used to be a milder climate.

• There used to be medicinal plants.

How do the people at La Rinconada find gold? Choose two options.

• They pound gold out of the rock.

• They use devices to locate gold in the mine.

• They fish for gold in the toxic lakes.

• They pour cyanide to reveal gold inside rock.

• They look for chunks that have rolled out of stone.