The Hidden Lives of Solitary Bees Reading Answers

Jan 28, 2023

The Hidden Lives of Solitary Bees Reading Answers is an IELTS reading topic that requires candidates to solve a given set of questions within 20 minutes. The Hidden Lives of Solitary Bees Reading Answers has been referenced from the IELTS Book IELTS Mock Tests. This IELTS reading topic; The Hidden Lives of Solitary Bees Reading Answers comprises 13 questions. The question types in this IELTS reading topic that candidates are required to solve are; choose the correct letter, and one word only. To practice more such reading passage candidates can refer to the IELTS reading practice papers.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

The Hidden Lives of Solitary Bees Reading Answers

There are 275 different species of bee in Great Britain and Ireland. Apart from the familiar honeybee and 25 species of bumblebee, the rest are known as solitary bees.

Solitary bees are unlike 'social' honeybees and bumblebees, which live in large colonies consisting of a queen whose function is to lay the eggs, while the workers gather pollen and nectar to feed the tiny grubs With solitary bees, there are typically just males and females. They mate, the mate dies and the female makes a nest.

Ian Beavis is a naturalist and blogger with a mission to raise the profile of the many solitary bees, whose pollinating services are so important, yet so little recognised, Solitary bees inhabit gardens, parks, woodlands, fields and cliffs. In fact they represent 95% of the world's bee species. Leading wildlife illustrator Richard Lewington. best known for his beautiful paintings of butterflies, says, 'Solitary bees are so useful to gardeners and commercially valuable. Yet until recently they barely registered in the public consciousness. I wanted to help publicise their vital role in our lives' The problem with solitary bees has long been one of identification - with more than 240 species to choose from, and no accessible guidebook, where do people start? So Richard Lewington has spent any spare time over the past few years working on a new guide to the bees of Great Britain and Ireland. This, amazingly, is the first book of its kind to be published for over a century.

How do solitary bees live? A female solitary bee constructs a nest and then lays her eggs in individual cells, lining or sealing them with various materials depending on the species of bee - red mason bees use mud leafcutter bees use sections of leaf. The female leaves what naturalists call a 'parcel' of pollen and nectar for each other little grubs to feed on When the female has laid all her eggs, she dies The emerging grubs eat. grow and develop into adults the following year.

While some bees are plentiful and widespread, others have been designated as rare. Or are very local in distribution. In 2013. Ian Beavis came across what has long been known as one of Britain's rarest species, the banded mining bee. An impressive species with white hairs on its face, the banded mining bee nests in the ground, typically on steep banks. Ian Beavis explains that it always chooses bare earth because it doesn't like having to eat through plant roots to make its nest Females feed on a variety of plants, but seem particularly fond of yellow dandelions that bloom from spring to autumn.

Another bee that has attracted naturalists' attention is the ivy bee. It was only identified as a distinct species in 1993. It is one of a number of bees that have been able to establish themselves in Britain due to the recent warmer winters. About the same size as a with distinctive orange-yellow banding on its abdomen, it was initially thought to feed on y on ivy, but has since been seen visiting other plants.

The discoveries about ivy bees show how rewarding the study of solitary bees can be but it's not the only species whose habits are changing. Ian Beavis believes we can see in solitary bees the beginning of social behaviour. He explains that many species make their nests close to each other in huge groups, and there are some, like Andrena scotica, where several bees use the same entrance without becoming aggressive. It's not difficult to see how this behaviour, which could be seen as the foundation of social behaviour, might evolve in future into worker bees sharing care of the grubs. Indeed some of Britain's solitary bees, Lasioglossum malachurum for example, are already demonstrating this type of social behaviour. So will all solitary bees evolve into social insects? Not necessarily. According to Ian Beavis, there are advantages to social behaviour but there are also advantages to nesting alone. Bees that nest socially are a target for predators, diseases and parasites.

Pesticides can also pose a threat to solitary bees. At the University of Sussex in England. Beth Nicholls is conducting research into the effects of certain pesticides on the red mason bee. She explains. 'We know that pesticides harm social bees, but very little research has been done into solitary bees.’ Honeybees fly throughout the summer, so they may be exposed to different levels of pesticides. But if the shorter flight period of solitary bees - the red mason bee only flies from March to May - coincides with peak pesticide levels, that might be disastrous. If the red mason bee declines dramatically, it could affect the fruit growing industry. According to Beth Nicholls, it is much more efficient at pollinating orchard trees. Social bees carry pollen in ‘baskets' on their back legs, but a female red mason bee carries it on the underside of her abdomen. This is a messier way of transporting it, and so more pollen is transferred to other flowers. The social bees' method is much 'tidier’, so once they have collected the pollen and tucked it away behind their legs, it won't be dropped.

Solitary bees are all around us. We need to start paying attention to them before it’s too late.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 1-4

Choose the correct letter. A,B,C or D

Write the correct letter in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.

Ian Beavis and Richard Lewlngton both believe that solitary bees

are as interesting as many butterfly species.
have an extremely varied range of habitats,
should be appreciated much more widely.
are valued by many gardeners.

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: Ian Beavis is a naturalist and blogger with a mission……role in our lives.
Keywords: Ian Beavis, Richard Lewington
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, lines 1-6
Explanation: Ian Beavis, a naturalist and blogger, is dedicated to increasing awareness of the numerous solitary bee species. These bees, which account for 95% of the world's bee species, play a crucial role in pollination, yet are often overlooked. They can be found in a variety of environments such as gardens, parks, woodlands, fields and cliffs. Wildlife illustrator Richard Lewington, known for his stunning butterfly paintings, also emphasizes the importance of solitary bees and their contribution to gardening and commercial value. He expresses his desire to raise awareness of their vital role in our lives.

What does the writer think is surprising about the new book on bees?

There is such a wide range of species in it.
Some of the species in it are hard to differentiate.
Richard Lewington chose to give up his main work to write It.
It was so long since a guide like this had been produced.

Answer: D
Supporting Sentence: So Richard Lewington has spent any spare time over the past few years working on a new guide to the bees of Great Britain and Ireland. This, amazingly, is the first book of its kind to be published for over a century.
Keywords: Richard Lewington, amazingly
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, lines 8-10
Explanation: To highlight the significance of solitary bees, Richard Lewington has dedicated his spare time over the past few years to creating a new guidebook on the bees of Great Britain and Ireland. This guidebook is the first of its kind to be published in over a century.

Beth Nicholls explains that red mason bees

have had more studies into their behaviour than others.
may suffer more from pesticides than social bees,
have an advantage because of when they fly.
have certain similarities with honey bees.

Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: Pesticides can also pose a threat to solitary bees.
Keywords: Pesticides, solitary bees
Keyword Location: Paragraph 8, lines 1
Explanation: Solitary bees can also be endangered by pesticides.

Why does Beth Nicholls consider red mason bees to be valuable pollinators?

They regularly lose some of the pollen they are carrying.
They transport pollen with great care.
Their pollination season is longer than that of social bees.
The females do most of the pollen collection.

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: Beth Nicholls is conducting research into the effects of certain pesticides on the red mason bee. She explains. 'We know that pesticides harm social bees, but very little research has been done into solitary bees.’
Honeybees fly throughout the summer, so they may be exposed to different levels of pesticides.
Keywords: Beth Nicholls, pesticides, red mason bee
Keyword Location: Paragraph 8, lines 1-5
Explanation: Beth Nicholls, a researcher, is investigating the impact of specific pesticides on the red mason bee. She states, "While it is well-known that pesticides can harm social bees, research on the effects of pesticides on solitary bees is limited." Honeybees are active during the summer, which increases their exposure to varying levels of pesticides.

Questions 5-8

Look at the following statements (Questions 5-8) and the list of solitary bees below.

Match each statement with the correct bee, A-E

Write the correct letter. A-E, in boxes 5-8 on your answer sheet

NB: You may use any letter more than once.

Some members of this species have started to contribute more to the care of the young

Answer: D
Supporting Sentence: He explains that many species make their nests close to each other in huge groups, and there are some, like Andrena scotica, where several bees use the same entrance without becoming aggressive.
Keywords: nests, Andrena scotica, aggressive
Keyword Location: Paragraph 7, lines 3-5
Explanation: It has been stated that many bee species form their nests in proximity to one another in large congregations. And there are some species like Andrena scotica, where multiple bees use the same entrance to the nest without displaying aggressive behavior towards each other.

This species avoids areas covered with vegetation when selecting nest sites.

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: An impressive species with white hairs on its face, the banded mining bee nests in the ground, typically on steep banks.
Keywords: impressive, banded mining bee, nests
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, lines 3-4
Explanation: The banded mining bee is a striking species, characterized by its white facial hair. This bee species creates its nests in the ground, usually on the inclines of steep banks.

This species has a favourite flower that it feeds on.

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: Ian Beavis came across what has long been known as one of Britain's rarest species, the banded mining bee.
Keywords: Ian Beavis, Britain's, banded mining bee
Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, lines 2-3
Explanation: The banded mining bee, one of Britain's most endangered species, was discovered by Ian Beavis.

This species has only been found in Britain in the past few years.

Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: Another bee that has attracted naturalists' attention is the ivy bee. It was only identified as a distinct species in 1993. It is one of a number of bees that have been able to establish themselves in Britain due to the recent
warmer winters.
Keywords: ivy bee, Britain, 1993
Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, lines 1-3
Explanation: The ivy bee is another species of bee that has gained the attention of naturalists. It was only officially recognized as a separate species in 1993. The ivy bee is one of several bees that have been able to thrive in Britain in recent years, due to the warmer winter temperatures.

List of Solitary Bees

The banded mining bee
The ivy bee
Andrena scotica
Lasrogfossum malachurum
The red mason bee

Questions 9-13

Complete the summary below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer

Write your answers in boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet.

The life of the solitary bee

Female solitary bees make their nests with separate 9 ____ where single eggs are deposited. Females try to ensure the survival of all their 10 _____. They do this by providing suitable food in what is referred to as a 11 ______. Solitarybees use a range of substances to make their nests comfortable and secure, such as plant material or 12 ______.

Although some solitary bees are common, certain species are thought to be 13 _____.

The different solitary bees vary widely in their distribution, some being found all over Britain while others are much more restricted geographically.

Question 9.

Answer: Cells
Supporting Sentence: A female solitary bee constructs a nest and then lays her eggs in individual cells, lining or sealing them with various materials depending on the species of bee - red mason bees use mud leafcutter bees use sections of leaf
Keywords: female solitary bee, cells, lining, mud leafcutter bees
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, lines 1-3
Explanation: A female solitary bee creates a nest of her own, and within it, she lays her eggs in separate compartments. The way in which she lines or seals these compartments varies depending on the species of bee. For example, red mason bees make use of mud, while leafcutter bees use pieces of leaf.

Question 10.

Answer: grubs
Supporting Sentence: The female leaves what naturalists call a 'parcel' of pollen and nectar for each other little grubs to feed on When the female has laid all her eggs, she dies The emerging grubs eat. grow and develop into adults the following
year.
Keywords: female, leaves, grubs eat, grow
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, lines 3-6
Explanation: The female solitary bee, after laying her eggs, provides a "parcel" of pollen and nectar for each grub to feed on. This parcel is referred by naturalists. Once the female has completed laying all her eggs, she passes away. The grubs hatch from the eggs, feed on the parcel left by the female and grow and develop into adult bees in the following year.

Question 11.

Answer: parcel
Supporting Sentence: The female leaves what naturalists call a 'parcel' of pollen and nectar for each other little grubs to feed on
Keywords: female, parcel, nectar
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, lines 3-4
Explanation: For each of her offspring, the female solitary bee leaves a supply of pollen and nectar, which is referred to as a "parcel" by naturalists. This parcel serves as a food source for the grubs to feed on.

Question 12.

Answer: mud
Supporting Sentence: A female solitary bee constructs a nest and then lays her eggs in individual cells, lining or sealing them with various materials depending on the species of bee - red mason bees use mud leafcutter bees use sections of leaf
Keywords: female solitary bee, cells, lining, mud leafcutter bees
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, lines 1-3
Explanation: A female solitary bee creates a nest of her own, and within it, she lays her eggs in separate compartments. The way in which she lines or seals these compartments varies depending on the species of bee. For example, red mason bees make use of mud, while leafcutter bees use pieces of leaf.

Question 13.

Answer: rare
Supporting Sentence: Ian Beavis came across what has long been known as one of Britain's rarest species, the banded mining bee.
Keywords: Ian Beavis, Britain's, banded mining bee
Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, lines 2-3
Explanation: The banded mining bee, one of Britain's most endangered species, was discovered by Ian Beavis.

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