Read the excerpt from Utopia. The folly of men has enhanced the value of gold and silver because of their scarcity; whereas, on the contrary, it is their opinion that Nature, as an indulgent parent, has freely given us all the best things in great abundance, such as water and earth, but has laid up and hid from us the things that are vain and useless. Which historical fact will best help readers understand this excerpt?

a. Explorers during this period went to the New World in search of scarce resources. b. During this period, the king was fighting for power that was held by church leaders. c. Many people were dying from the Black Death during this period. d. Increased prosperity during this period allowed more citizens to buy land.

a. Explorers during this period went to the New World in search of scarce resources.

Explanation:

Thomas Moore's "Utopia" is a fictional and a socio- political satire on the fictional picture of an imaginary island where there is a perfect governmental authority. As the name suggests, "Utopia" means a fictional world where the government, the religious aspects as well as the social community is perfect and everything is as it should be.

The given excerpt is from the section titled "Of The Travelling of The Utopians" where Moore talks of how men is by nature greedy for gold and silver but it is the lesser metals like iron that are more important for living and survival, "for men can no more live without iron than without fire or water". This excerpt can be best understood with the historical fact that explorers in the past went to the New World looking for scare resources such as gold and silver, which are considered more valuable than other metals.

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