Passage

Medieval merchants risked the hazards of the Silk Road to reach the markets of China; Portuguese caravels in the 15th century sailed beyond the bounds of the known world, searching less for knowledge than for gold and spices. Historically, the driver for opening frontiers has always been the search for resources. Science and curiosity are weaker drivers. The only way to open up space, whether the space of solar system or interstellar space is to create an economic engine and that engine is resource extraction.

Question

CSATEasyPrelims 2021Comprehension

Which one of the following statements best sums up the passage given above?

Explanation

Option A is incorrect - The passage talks about the wealth generation as a strong motive for exploration but not the primary motive for any endeavor. They can have other motives, like science and curiosity though they are weak.

Option B is incorrect - The passage only talks about the possibility of initial exploration based on the economy. It does give any hint on the future.

Option C is correct - The passage talks about the economic consideration as principal for exploration like exploration for gold, spice, and Chinese market.

Option D is incorrect - The passage does talk about explorations that involve risk, but it will be incorrect to assume that wealth generation is always based on risk-taking behavior. Wealth generation may or may not involve risk-taking behavior.