The Ecological Importance of Bees Reading Answers

Jan 8, 2025

The Ecological Importance of Bees Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. The Ecological Importance of Bees Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total.

In the questions set you have to choose a correct heading for the paragraphs. In the next question set you have to answer each question in not more than two words. In the last part, you have to choose the correct answer.

The IELTS Reading Section is a crucial component of the IELTS exam, designed to assess a candidate's ability to comprehend and analyze different types of passages. In this passage, you will engage with a series of IELTS Reading Practice Questions that simulate real test scenarios. These questions are aimed at improving your skills in identifying key ideas, extracting specific information, and making inferences. Whether you are preparing for the Academic or General Training module, practicing these IELTS reading questions will help you become familiar with the format and boost your confidence for the actual test.

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Section1

THE ECOLOGICAL IMPOR IANCE BEES

A. Some time in the early Cretaceous period of the earth's history, hunting wasps of a certain type became bees by adopting a vegetarian diet, they began to rely more and more on the pollen of plants as a source of protein for themselves and their offspring as an alternative

to insects. In so doing, they accidentally transported pollen on their bodies to other plants of the same species, bringing about pollination. The stage was thus set for a succession of ever-closer mutual adaptations of bees and flowering plants. In particular, flowers began to reward bees for their unwitting role in their reproduction by providing richer sources of pollen and another source of nutrition, nectar.

B. Today about 15 percent of our diet consists of crops which are pollinated by bees. The meat and other animal products we consume are ultimately derived from bee- pollinated forage crops, and account for another 15 per cent. It follows that around one third of our food is directly or indirectly dependent on the pollinating services of bees. On a global basis, the annual value of agricultural crops dependent on the pollination services of bees is estimated at ₤1,000 million (US$I,590 million). Much of this pollination is due to honey bees, and in monetary terms it exceeds the value of the annual honey crop by a factor of fifty.

C. But the apparently harmonious relationship between bees and plants conceals a conflict of interests. Although flowers need bees and vice versa, it pays each partner to minimise its costs and maximise its profits. This may sound like an extreme case of attributing human qualities to non-human species, but using the marketplace and the principles of double-entry book-keeping as metaphors may give us some insights into what is really going on between bees and flowering plants. In the real world, both flower and bee operate in a competitive marketplace. A community Of retailers, the flowers, seek to attract more or less discriminating consumers, the bees. Each flower has to juggle the costs and benefits of investing in advertising, by colour and scent, and providing rewards, nectar and pollen. Clearly a species which depends on cross-pollination is on a knife-edge: it must provide sufficient nectar to attract the interest Of a bee, but not enough to satisfy all of its needs in one visit. A satisfied bee would return to its nest rather than visit another flower. The bee, on the other hand, is out to get the maximum amount of pollen and nectar. It must assess the quality and quantity of rewards which are on offer and juggle its energy costs so that it makes a calorific profit on each foraging trip. The apparent harmony between plants and bees is therefore not all that it seems. Instead, it is an equilibrium based on compromises between the competing interests of the protagonists.

D. This sounds remarkably like the ideas of the 18th-century economist Adam Smith. In his book, The Wealth of Nations, Smith postulated that in human society the competitive interactions of different ‘economic units' eventually resulted in a balanced, or 'harmonious' society. One might predict, therefore, that economists would find the relationships between bees and plants of some interest. This is the case in Israel, where economists are collaborating with botanists and entomologists in a long-term study of the pollination biology of the native

flora, In an attempt to understand the dynamics of the relationship between communities of bees and plants.

E. This sort of study is of more than passing academic interest. It is important that authorities understand the dynamic relationships between plants and their pollinators. This is especially true when, say, devising conservation policies. A good example comes from the forests of tropical South America. Here, as in all rainforests, there is a high diversity of tree species. There may be more than 120 per acre, but in a given acre there may only be one or two individuals Of any one species. These trees are pollinated by large, fast-flying bees. There is evidence that certain types of bees learn the distribution of these scattered trees and forage regularly along the same routes. This is called 'trap-lining' and the bees forage for up to 23 km from their nests. The bees are therefore acting as long-distance pollinators.

F. An issue of current concern in tropical forest conservation is that of trying to estimate the minimum sustainable size of 'islands' of forest reserve in areas where large-scale felling is taking place. There is much discussion on seed dispersal distances. But this is only one half of the equation, so far as the reproduction of trees is concerned. There is another question that must be addressed in order to calculate whether proposed forest reserves are close enough to the nearest large tract of forest: 'What is the flight range of these long -distance foragers?' We need to know much more about bees and their relationships with plants before this question can be answered.

G. Bees, then, are vital to our survival. Furthermore, much of the visual impact of human environments derives from vegetation, and most vegetation is dependent on bees for pollination. Thus, as pollinators of crops and natural vegetation, bees occupy key positions In the web of relationships which sustain the living architecture of our planet.

Questions 14 — 18

For questions 14 — 18, choose the correct

heading for each paragraph from the list of

headings (i-viii) below.

LIST OF HEADINGS

i. Parallels between bee and human activities

ii. An evolutionary turning point

iii. A lack of total co-operation

iv. The preservation of individual plant species

v. The commercial value of bees

vi. The structure Of flowering plants

vii. The pursuit of self-interest

viii. The need for further research

LIST OF PARAGRAPHS

14. Paragraph A

Answer: II

Supporting statement:The stage was thus set for a succession of ever-closer mutual adaptations of bees and flowering plants

Keywords: succession, adaptations

Keyword Location: Para , Line

Explanation:In the given passage it is stated that by switching to a vegetarian diet and becoming increasingly dependent on plant pollen for protein to sustain themselves and their offspring instead of insects, hunting wasps of one kind evolved into bees. By doing this, they unintentionally spread pollen from their bodies to other plants in the same species, causing pollination. Thus began a series of ever-closer mutual adaptations between blossoming plants and bees. Specifically, flowers started to repay bees for their accidental aid in reproduction by offering them more abundant pollen and nectar, another food source.

15. Paragraph B

Answer: V

Supporting statement:On a global basis, the annual value of agricultural crops dependent on the pollination services of bees is estimated at ₤1,000 million (US$I,590 million).

Keywords: value, million

Keyword Location: Para , Line

Explanation: According to the passage it is estimated that the yearly value of agricultural products that rely on bee pollination services is ₤1,000 million (US$I,590 million) on a global level. Honey bees are responsible for a large portion of this pollination, which is worth fifty times more than the yearly honey harvest.

16. Paragraph D

Answer: I

Supporting statement:One might predict, therefore, that economists would find the relationships between bees and plants of some interest.

Keywords: economists, relationships

Keyword Location: Para , Line

Explanation: According to Smith's theory, human society finally became balanced or "harmonious" as a result of the competing interactions between various "economic units." Therefore, it seems to reason that economists would be somewhat interested in the connections between bees and plants.

17. Paragraph E

Answer: IV

Supporting statement: Here, as in all rainforests, there is a high diversity of tree species. There may be more than 120 per acre, but in a given acre there may only be one or two individuals Of any one species.

Keywords: species, acre

Keyword Location: Para , Line

Explanation: In the given passage it is evident that when creating conservation laws, for example the tropical woods of South America provide a good example. Tree species variety is notable here, as it is in all rainforests. Although there could be more than 120 per acre, just one or two individuals of any one species may be found in a particular acre.

18. Paragraph F

Answer: VIII

Supporting statement:We need to know much more about bees and their relationships with plants before this question can be answered.

Keywords: bees, plants

Keyword Location: Para , Line

Explanation:According to the passage to determine if planned forest reserves are sufficiently close to the closest significant forest tract, another issue has to be answered: "What is the flight range of these long-distance hunters?" Before we can answer this issue, we need to learn a lot more about bees and their interactions with plants.

Questions 19 - 25

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS

AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

19. Hunting wasps used to feed on other…………, rather than on vegetation.

Answer: INSECTS

Supporting statement: hunting wasps of a certain type became bees by adopting a vegetarian diet, they began to rely more and more on the pollen of plants as a source of protein for themselves and their offspring as an alternative

to insects.

Keywords: vegetarian, pollen

Keyword Location: Para , Line

Explanation: According to the passage the hunting wasps evolved into bees by adopting a vegetarian diet this also resulted in more production of nectar in the plants due to pollination.

20. Flowering plants started to reward bees with rich pollen and an additional food in the form of……………….

Answer: NECTAR

Supporting statement:In particular, flowers began to reward bees for their unwitting role in their reproduction by providing richer sources of pollen and another source of nutrition, nectar.

Keywords: reproduction, nectar

Keyword Location: Para , Line

Explanation: Due to more pollination plants reproduced in a greater number thus causing more nectar production as a return favour to the bees.

21. Approximately ………... of human food production relies on the activity of bees.

Answer: ONE- THIRD

Supporting statement: It follows that around one third of our food is directly or indirectly dependent on the pollinating services of bees.

Keywords: one-third, dependent

Keyword Location: Para , Line

Explanation: According to the passage bees pollinate the crops that make up around 15% of our food nowadays. An additional 15% of the meat and other animal products we eat come from fodder crops that are pollinated by bees. As a result, around one-third of our food depends either directly or indirectly on bees for pollination.

22. If the process of…………. is to take place effectively, bees need to travel from one

flower to another before going back to the nest.

Answer: CROSS - POLLINATION

Supporting statement: Clearly a species which depends on cross-pollination is on a knife-edge: it must provide sufficient nectar to attract the interest of a bee, but not enough to satisfy all of its needs in one visit. A satisfied bee would return to its nest

Keywords: cross, satisfy

Keyword Location: Para , Line

Explanation: The passage states that the costs and advantages of advertising through color and scent, as well as offering rewards like nectar and pollen, must be balanced by each flower. It is obvious that a species that relies on cross-pollination is uncertain: it must offer enough nectar to stimulate a bee's interest without providing enough to meet all of its requirements in a single visit. A bee that is content would go back to its nest instead of going to another bloom. In contrast, the bee's goal is to collect as much pollen and nectar as possible.

23. Bees need to balance the…………….of each trip against the calorific rewards they obtain.

Answer: ENERGY COSTS

Supporting statement:It must assess the quality and quantity of rewards which are on offer and juggle its energy costs so that it makes a calorific profit on each foraging trip.

Keywords: rewards, profit

Keyword Location: Para , Line

Explanation: According to the passage a bee that is satisfied would go back to its nest instead of going to another bloom. In contrast, the bee's goal is to collect as much pollen and nectar as possible. To generate a calorific profit on each foraging journey, it must balance its energy expenses and evaluate the quality and amount of rewards available. Therefore, the seeming coexistence of bees and plants is not as harmonious as it first appears. Rather, it is a balance founded on concessions made by those involved to their conflicting interests.

24. There can be over 120 different…………… in an acre of rainforest.

Answer: TREE SPECIES

Supporting statement: there is a high diversity of tree species. There may be more than 120 per acre, but in a given acre

Keywords: diversity, 120

Keyword Location: Para , Line

Explanation:In the given passage it is given that the tropical woods of South America, has a great diversity of tree species here, like in other rainforests. Although there could be more than 120 per acre, just one or two individuals of any one species may be found in a particular acre.

25. The bees that pollinate large forests regularly practise an activity known as……………

Answer: TRAP - LINING

Supporting statement: This is called 'trap-lining' and the bees forage for up to 23 km from their nests. The bees are therefore acting as long-distance pollinators.

Keywords: trap- lining, nests

Keyword Location: Para , Line

Explanation: The bees use a method called trap lining to pollinate large forest areas they forage up to 23 km from their nest. In this method certain types of bees learn the distribution of these scattered trees and forage regularly along the same routes.

Questions 26

Choose the correct letter.

Which is the best title for Reading Passage 2?

A. The Ecological Importance of Bees

B. The Evolutionary History of Bees

C. The Social Behaviour of Bees

D. The Geographical Distribution of Bees

Answer: A

Supporting statement: bees occupy key positions In the web of relationships which sustain the living architecture of our planet.

Keywords: living, sustain

Keyword Location: Para , Line

Explanation: Bees directly or indirectly help in maintaining the ecological balance in nature. A third of the world's food production depends on bees. When animals and insects pick up the pollen of flowers and spread it, they allow plants, including many food crops, to reproduce. The majority of plants depend on bees for pollination, while human habitats are derived from vegetation. Therefore, bees have important roles in the chain of exchanges that support our planet's living ecosystem as pollinators of crops and natural plants.

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