Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Mineral resources are called 'finite and non-renewable' because they were formed over millions of years through very slow geological processes, and once used up, they cannot be replenished at rates matching human consumption.

This is a cause for concern because:

• The total volume of workable mineral deposits is only about one per cent of the earth's crust — an insignificant fraction.
• We are rapidly exhausting these deposits; continued extraction leads to increasing costs and decreasing quality of ores.
• Rich mineral deposits are short-lived possessions that, once consumed, are gone forever.

Source: Conservation of Minerals, Chapter 5

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• Examiners expect the definition (slow formation + cannot be replenished) AND the concern (scarcity, rising costs, irreversibility) — both parts must be addressed to get full 3 marks.
• Quoting "one per cent of the earth's crust" and "short-lived possessions" directly from the textbook impresses examiners.
• Keep the concern points as a short list — it's cleaner and easier to mark than a dense paragraph.