? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? The Disappearing Honeybee
Do you run away when you hear a bee buzzing? Many people do. A bee sting hurts and some people are allergic to bee venom(蜂毒). But did you know that bees are very important to humans? Honeybees do more than just make honey. They fly around and pollinate(傳授花粉) flowers, plants, and trees. ___11___ One third of America's food supply is pollinated by the honeybee.
Have you seen or heard a honeybee lately? Bees are mysteriously disappearing in many parts of the world. Most people don't know about this problem. It is called Colony Collapse Disorder(CCD). Some North American beekeepers lost 80% of their hives(蜂巢)from 2006-2008.___12___.
The disappearance of the honeybee is a serious problem. Can you imagine never eating another blueberry? What about almonds and cherries? Without honeybees food prices will skyrocket(猛漲).___13___.
This problem affects other foods besides fresh produce. Imagine losing your favorite ice cream! Haagen Daaz is a famous ice cream company. Many of their flavors rely on the hard working honey bee. ___14___ They also created a website called helpthehoneybee.com.
Donating money to research is the most important thing humans can do to save the honeybees. Scientists need money to investigate the causes of Colony Collapse Disorder. Some scientists blame CCD on climate change. Others think pesticides(殺蟲劑)are killing the bees.___15___Beekeepers transport their hives from place to place in order to pollinate plants year round.
Not everyone has money to donate regularly. There are other ways to help the honeybee. Spread the word, by telling your friends and family about the problem. Tell your teacher about the disappearing bees too. Maybe your class can write a letter to the government.
A. In 2008 Haagen Daaz began raising money for CCD
B. It is hard to pin down what has been causing honeybees to vanish
C. The poorest people always suffer the worst when there is a lack of food
D. Our fruits, nuts, and vegetables rely on these pollinators.
E. Commercial bee migration may also cause CCD.
F. Bees in Italy and Australia are disappearing too.
