1.
A Problem Solved: The Rise of Urban Beekeeping
2. A. The sight of a honeybee buzzing around a city park or a rooftop garden is
becoming increasingly common. Urban beekeeping, the practice of keeping
honeybee colonies in metropolitan areas, has surged in popularity over the last two
decades. From London to New York and Tokyo, beehives are appearing on the roofs
of skyscrapers, in community gardens, and in suburban backyards. This trend may
seem counterintuitive; cities are often perceived as sterile, concrete jungles, hostile
to wildlife. However, emerging research and anecdotal evidence from apiarists
suggest that honeybees may not only survive in urban landscapes but may, in fact,
thrive in them, sometimes more successfully than their rural counterparts.
3. B. The renewed interest in urban beekeeping is not happening in a vacuum. It is
largely a response to the well-documented decline in honeybee populations globally,
often termed Colony Collapse Disorder. In traditional rural and agricultural settings,
bees face a host of threats. Chief among these are the widespread use of pesticides,
particularly neonicotinoids, which can impair a bee's ability to navigate and forage.
Furthermore, the prevalence of agricultural monoculture—vast fields growing a single
crop—creates a feast-or-famine cycle for bees. They may have an abundance of
food for a few weeks while the crop is in bloom, but face a nutritional desert for the
rest of the season.
4. C. In contrast, a city can be a surprisingly diverse and stable foraging environment
for a honeybee. Urban areas boast a wide variety of flora, from the ornamental
flowers in public parks and private gardens to the flowering trees lining streets and
the weeds that grow in neglected corners. This biodiversity provides bees with a
continuous and varied diet of nectar and pollen from early spring until late autumn.
This long foraging season is often extended by the "urban heat island" effect, where
the concentration of buildings and paved surfaces keeps the city warmer than the
surrounding countryside, encouraging plants to flower for longer periods. Additionally,
the use of pesticides is significantly lower in most urban green spaces compared to
large-scale industrial farms.
5. D. Despite these advantages, urban beekeeping is not without its challenges and
critics. One primary concern is the potential for swarming, a natural process where a
queen bee leaves the hive with a large number of worker bees to form a new colony.
While generally not aggressive, a large swarm in a public space can cause alarm.
Consequently, proper training and hive management are essential for urban apiarists.
There is also a growing debate among conservationists about whether managed
honeybees compete with native, wild pollinators for the limited floral resources within
a city, potentially putting more vulnerable species at risk.
6. E. Proponents argue that the benefits far outweigh the risks. Urban hives produce
unique, hyperlocal honey with complex flavor profiles reflecting the diverse plants of
a specific neighborhood. Beyond honey, the bees play a vital role in pollinating the
fruit and vegetable plants in community gardens and allotments, contributing to local
food security and biodiversity. Perhaps most importantly, urban beekeeping serves as
a powerful educational tool. It connects city dwellers, who are often far removed from
food production, with the natural world and raises awareness about the critical role of
pollinators in our ecosystem. The urban beehive, therefore, is more than just a
source of honey; it's a symbol of a new, symbiotic relationship between humans and
nature in the heart of our modern world.
7.
8. Questions
9. Questions 1 - 5
10.The reading passage has five paragraphs, A-E. Choose the correct heading for each
paragraph from the list of headings below.
11.List of Headings i. The educational and environmental benefits ii. A surprisingly
suitable new habitat for bees iii. Initial difficulties for urban beekeepers iv. The
growing appeal of keeping bees in cities v. Potential dangers and the need for
expertise vi. A decline in traditional beekeeping locations vii. The financial profits of
urban honey
12.1. Paragraph A 2. Paragraph B 3. Paragraph C 4. Paragraph D 5. Paragraph E
13.Questions 6 - 9
14.Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?
Write: TRUE if the statement agrees with the information FALSE if the statement
contradicts the information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
15.6. Agricultural monoculture provides bees with a consistent, year-round food source.
7. The "urban heat island" effect is beneficial for urban bee colonies. 8. The honey
produced by city bees is considered healthier than honey from rural areas. 9.
Managed honeybees in cities can have a negative impact on other local pollinating
insects.
16.Questions 10 - 13
17.Complete the sentences below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for
each answer.
18.10. The widespread use of __________ is a major threat to bees in agricultural
areas. 11. The variety of plants in cities provides bees with a more diverse
__________ than many rural locations. 12. When a queen bee leaves the hive with
many other bees, it is a natural process known as __________. 13. Urban
beekeeping can help improve local food __________ by pollinating garden plants.
19.
20. ## Answers
21.1. iv 2. vi 3. ii 4. v 5. i
22.6. FALSE 7. TRUE 8. NOT GIVEN 9. TRUE
23.10. pesticides 11. diet 12. swarming 13. security
24.
