Reading 2

Why Are Honeybees Disappearing? AK

Genre: CAUSE AND EFFECT

GENRE QUESTIONS
Cause & Effect
1. What issue is being analysed? Think about the headline, change the order of the words (so it’s not a
question) and change the main verb into a noun.
2. What are the causes? – make a list
3. What are the effects? – connect these to your list
4. Is there one or several causes?
5. Is there one or several effects? – See paragraph 1, how does this issue affect humans?
6. Are any effects, in turn causes?
7. Are the causes/effects being addressed/solved?
8. What is the author’s recommendation/warning/prediction?

Why Are Honeybees Disappearing?

The loss of bees could have devastating effect on agriculture and food supply
by Earth Talk Updated March 31, 2018
Kids everywhere may revel in the fact that bees are no longer
stinging them as frequently on playgrounds and in backyards,
but : :the decline in honeybee populations in the U.S. and
elsewhere signals a major environmental imbalance that could
have far-reaching implications for our agricultural food supply.
The Importance of Honeybees
Brought here from Europe in the 1600s, honeybees have
become widespread across North America and are bred
commercially for their abilities to produce honey and pollinate
crops - 90 different farm-grown foods, including many fruits
and nuts, depend on honeybees. But in recent years honeybee
populations across the continent have plummeted by as much
as 70 percent, and biologists are still scratching their heads as to why and what to do about the problem which they
have termed “colony collapse disorder” (CCD).
Chemicals May Be Killing the Honeybees
Many believe that our increasing use of chemical pesticides and herbicides, which honeybees ingest during their
daily pollination rounds, are largely to blame. Of particular concern is a class of pesticides called neonicotinoids.
Commercial beehives are also subjected to direct chemical fumigation at regular intervals to ward off destructive
mites. Genetically modified crops were once a suspect, but: there is no clear evidence of a link between them and
CCD.
It may be that the build-up of synthetic chemicals has reached a “tipping point,” stressing bee populations to the
point of collapse. Lending credence to this theory is that organic bee colonies, where synthetic pesticides are mostly
avoided, are not experiencing the same kind of catastrophic collapses, according to the non-profit Organic
Consumers Association.
Radiation May Push Honeybees Off Course
Bee populations may also be vulnerable to other factors, such as the recent increase in atmospheric electromagnetic
radiation as a result of growing numbers of cell phones and wireless communication towers. The increased radiation
given off by such devices may interfere with bees’ ability to navigate. A small study at Germany’s Landau University
found that bees would not return to their hives when mobile phones were placed nearby, but it is thought that the
conditions in the experiment do not represent real-world exposure levels.
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Reading 2
Why Are Honeybees Disappearing? AK
Genre: CAUSE AND EFFECT

Global Warming Partly to Blame for Honeybee Deaths?

Biologists also wonder if global warming may be exaggerating the growth rates of pathogens such as the mites,
viruses, and fungi that are known to take their toll on bee colonies. The unusual hot-and-cold winter weather
fluctuations in recent years,also blamed on global warming, may also be wreaking havoc on bee populations
accustomed to more consistent seasonal weather patterns.
Scientists Still Searching for Cause of Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder
A recent gathering of leading bee biologists yielded no consensus, but most agree that a combination of factors is
likely to blame. “We’re going to see a lot of money poured into this problem,” says University of Maryland
entomologist Galen Dively, one of the nation’s leading bee researchers. He reports that the federal government
plans an allocation of $80 million to fund research in connection with CCD. “What we’re looking for,” Dively says, “is
some commonality which can lead us to a cause.”

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