Question 30 - Reading: Level D Practice Test for the TABE Test

Mining is the process of digging things out of the ground. Mining things from the ground is called extraction. Mining can include the extraction of metals and minerals, like coal, diamond, gold, silver, platinum, copper, tin, and iron. Mining can also include other things like oil and natural gas.

Some mining is done by scraping away the soil (dirt) from the top of the ground. This is called surface mining. Some mining is done by going deep underground into a mine shaft. This is called underground mining. Some mining, such as gold mining, is done in other ways. Gold can be mined by searching in the bed of a river or other stream of water to remove the flakes of gold. This is called panning or placer mining.

A worker in a mine is called a miner. Underground mining is a dangerous job. The temperatures can be extreme, toxins can fill the air, and mine shafts can collapse. Hundreds of miners die every year from accidents. These accidents occur mostly in poor countries that do not enforce strict safety rules or require miners to use special safety equipment. Underground coal mining is especially dangerous because coal can give off poisonous and explosive gases.

Mining operations are dangerous for workers while the mine is in operation, and they often make the environment worse, both during the mining activity and after the mine has closed. Hence, most countries have passed regulations to decrease the negative impact of mining.