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

Option (a) is indeed incorrect as the passage doesn’t state that wealth generation is the primary motive for exploration; rather, it highlights it as a strong driver among others.

Option (b) is also incorrect because the passage doesn’t mention anything about the future implications of economic-driven exploration.

Option (c) is correct. The passage emphasizes that throughout history, the main driver for exploration has often been the pursuit of resources, such as gold, spices, or access to markets like China.

Option (d) is incorrect because while the passage does acknowledge risk in historical exploration, it doesn’t imply that wealth generation always involves risk-taking behavior.

So, option (c) is the correct choice.