Distributions of Tropical Bee Colonies

1. The word “rival” in the passage is closest in meaning to

P1. In 1977 ecologists Stephen Hubbell and Leslie Johnson A) established B) competing
recorded a dramatic example of how social interactions can C) nearby D) different
produce and enforce regular spacing in a population. They
2. According to paragraph 2, some species of stingless bees are
studied competition and nest spacing in populations of stingless aggressive mainly toward
bees in tropical dry forests in Costa Rica. Though these bees do A) nonaggressive bees that forage on the same flowers
no sting, rival colonies of some species fight fiercely over B) aggressive bees of other species
C) bees from their own colony
potential nesting sites.
D) bees of their own species from different colonies

P2. Stingless bees are abundant in tropical and subtropical 3. According to paragraph 3, Hubbell and Johnson hypothesized that
environments, where they gather nectar and pollen from a wide A) the distribution pattern of bee colonies determines the degree of
aggressiveness the bees display
variety of flowers. They generally nest in trees and live in
B) nests of nonaggressive bees have either a random or a clumped
colonies made up of hundreds to thousands of workers. Hubbell distribution, while nests of aggressive bees have a regular
and Johnson observed that some species of stingless bees are distribution
highly aggressive to members of their species from other C) nests of nonaggressive bees are generally both closer together
and more regularly distributed than those of aggressive bees
colonies, while other species are not. Aggressive species D) nests of aggressive bees tend to be more regular in shape than
usually forage in groups and feed mainly on flowers that occur those of nonaggressive bees
in high-density clumps. Nonaggressive species feed singly or in
small groups and on more widely distributed flowers. 4. According to paragraph 4, why did Hubbell and Johnson begin
their study by mapping all the potential nest sites?
A) To determine whether the availability of potential nest sites
P3. Hubbell and Johnson studied several species of stingless played a role in the distribution of bee colonies
bees to determine whether there is a relationship between B) To know exactly where in the study area the colonies of all the
aggressiveness and patterns of colony distribution. They different bee species were located
C) To be sure that suitable nesting sites were equally available in all
predicted that the colonies of aggressive species would show parts of the study area
regular distributions, while those of nonaggressive species D) To find out whether different species of bees preferred different
would show random or closely grouped (clumped) distribution. types of trees as potential nest sites
They concentrated their studies on a thirteen-hectare tract of
5. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential
tropical dry forest that contained numerous nests of nine species information in the highlighted sentence in the passage?
of stingless bees. A) The limited number of colonies was not due to the distribution or
availability of potential nesting sites.
B) There was no lack of suitable trees or potential nesting sites in
P4. Though Hubbell and Johnson were interested in how bee the study area.
behavior might affect colony distributions, they recognized that C) The number of nests was directly related to the number or the
the availability of potential nest sites for colonies could also distribution of suitable trees.
affect distributions. ■ So as one of the first steps in their study, D) Neither the number nor the distribution of colonies could be
explained by the availability of suitable nest sites.
they mapped the distributions of trees suitable for nesting. ■
They found that potential nest trees were distributed randomly 6. According to paragraph 5, Hubbell and Johnson determined
through the study area. ■ They also found that the number of A) the order in which the colonies in the study area had been
potential nest sites was much greater than the number of bee established
B) the level of aggressiveness of each of the nine species
colonies. ■ What did these measurements show the researchers? C) the distribution pattern of the nests of five of the nine species
The number of colonies in the study area was not limited by D) the number of colonies of each of the nine species
availability of suitable trees, and a clumped or regular
7. Why does the author indicate that “The fifth species was not
distribution of colonies was not due to an underlying clumped
aggressive, and its nests were randomly distributed over the study
or regular distribution of potential nest sites. area”?
A) To identify research results that contradicted Hubbell and
P5. Hubbell and Johnson mapped the nests of five of the nine Johnson’s original hypothesis
B) To indicate that research results confirmed that nest distribution
species of stingless bees accurately, and the nests of four of was related to aggressiveness
these species were distributed regularly. All four species with C) To introduce the hypothesis that, within the same species, not all
regular nest distributions were highly aggressive to bees from colonies are aggressive
other colonies of their own species. The fifth species was not D) To point out that both aggressive and nonaggressive species are
equally successful at finding nest sites
aggressive, and its nests were randomly distributed over the
study area.
P6. The researchers also studied the process by which the aggressive 8. The phrase “insights into” in the passage is closest in meaning to
species establish new colonies. Their observations provide insights A) tools to study
B) opportunities for
into the mechanisms that establish and maintain the regular nest C) evidence of
distribution of these species. Aggressive species apparently mark D) an understanding of
prospective nest sites with pheromones, chemical substances
secreted by some animals for communication with other members of 9. According to paragraph 6, what is one result of using pheromones
to mark nest sites?
their species. The pheromone secreted by these stingless bees A) The use of pheromones tends to result in nest clumping.
attracts and aggregates members of their colony to the prospective B) Pheromones attract animals other than bees to prospective nest
nest site; however, it also attracts workers from other nests. sites.
C) Pheromones tend to make bees aggressive.
D) Pheromones secreted by bees of one colony also attract bees of
P7. If workers from two different colonies arrive at the prospective nest other colonies.
at the same time, they may fight for possession. Fights may be
escalated into protracted battles. The researchers observed battles 10. The word “escalated” in the passage is closest in meaning to
A) intensified
over a nest tree that lasted for two weeks. Each dawn, fifteen to thirty
B) transformed
workers from two competing colonies arrived at the contested nest site. C) combined
The workers from the two colonies faced off in two swarms and D) lengthened
displayed and fought with each other. In the displays, pairs of bees
11. Paragraph 7 supports which of the following ideas about fights
faced each other, slowly flew vertically to a height of about three over occupied nests?
meters, and then grappled each other to the ground. When the two A) They are more violent than battles over unoccupied nest sites.
bees hit the ground, they separated, faced off, and performed another B) They mostly occur between colonies of different species.
aerial display. Bees did not appear to be injured in these fights, which C) They are more frequent than battles over unoccupied sites.
D) They last longer than battles over unoccupied sites do.
were apparently ritualized. The two swarms abandoned the battle at
about 8 or 9 A.M. each morning, only to re-form and begin again the 12. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following
next day just after dawn. While this contest over an unoccupied nest sentence could be added to the passage.
site produced no obvious mortality, fights over occupied nests
For example, a clumped distribution of nests might simply
sometimes kill over 1,000 bees in a single battle. reflect a clumped distribution of suitable nesting sites.

Where does the sentence best fit?

13. Select from the seven sentences below the three sentences that
correctly characterize aggressive species of stingless bees and the
two sentences that correctly characterize nonaggressive species.

Aggressive Stingless Bees

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Nonaggressive Stingless Bees
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Answer Choices:
A) Nests are regularly distributed
B) Nests are sometimes located close together
C) Nests always occur in large clumps
D) Colonies are generally made up of fewer than 100 workers
E) Members of a colony feed alone or in small groups
F) Bees feed mainly on flowers that grow in high-density clumps