A. But gold’s luster (光泽) not only endures; fueled by global uncertainty, it grows stronger.
B. Gold is not vital to human existence; it has, in fact, relatively few practical uses.
C. In the U. S. an activist-driven "No Dirty Gold" campaign has persuaded many top jewelry retailers to stop selling gold from mines that cause severe social or environmental damage.
D. Nearly every society through the ages has invested gold with an almost mythological power.
E. For all of its allure, gold’s human and environmental toll has never been so steep. Part of the challenge, as well as the fascination, is that there is so little of it.
F. Gold’s recent surge, sparked in part by the terrorist attack on 9/11, has been amplified by the slide of the U. S. dollar and jitters over a looming global recession.