Read this excerpt from "Mount Taylor: A Peak in Peril." Mount Taylor, at an elevation of 11,300 feet, is visible from more than 100 miles away. Douglas fir, aspen, and piñon
pine trees in the Cibola National Forest blanket the mountain. Spires of volcanic rock rise on the north slope. The
peak is often snow-capped. But it is what lies underneath the mountain that threatens this site. Mount Taylor sits
atop one of the richest uranium ore reserves in the country.
What inference can the reader make about why the author includes these details?
To explain the danger of volcanic activity to residents near the mountain
To compare the height of the mountain with the depths of the mines beneath
To describe the variety of trees in the Cibola National Forest
To contrast the mountain's natural beauty with its material wealth