How do you feel about bees? Do you get annoyed when they buzz around you and do you fear their mission is just to sting you? Love them or loathe them, these little insects are extremely important creatures, and without them we might starve.
Bees deserve some respect — they give us honey, and they play their part either pollinating the many vegetables and fruits we eat directly or pollinating the food for the animals that we then consume. In fact, they are the world’s most important pollinators. That’s not all — a study by the University of Reading in the UK, found bees and other pollinating insects have a global economic value of around £120bn ($150bn) and contribute around £690m ($850m) to the UK economy every year.
So, bees are worth protecting, and although a small number of bee species are vital for crops such as oilseed rape, apples and strawberries, experts say we should be taking care of all our bees. Researchers say conservation efforts should be aimed at a wide number of species — even those that currently contribute little to crop pollination —– in order to maintain biodiversity and ensure future food security.
Unfortunately, in recent times, bee populations have been declining due to pesticides, parasites, disease and habitat loss. It’s something we should be worried about because, as Gill Perkins, chief executive of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, told BBC Future website: “They provide a whole ecosystem service.” The recent lockdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic seem to have given bee populations a little boost because they faced less human disturbance, traffic and polluting fumes.
Conservationists hope, going forward, people will appreciate bees more and encourage them to thrive as they reconnect with nature. Gill Perkins says, “They are beginning to realise how their mental health and wellbeing is supported by nature — particularly by bumblebees, which are so iconic and beautiful and buzzy.” So, it really seems time to give bees a second chance.
1. Please state the function of paragraph 1.2. What reasons have contributed to the decrease in bee populations?
3. Is the following statement true or false? Please provide evidence from the passage.
Gill Perkins says reconnecting with nature helps improve the mental health of bumblebees.
4. What is the main idea of this passage?
In the United States alone, there are more than 80 brands of bottled water. That makes the United State one of the top bottled-water-consuming nations. A single-serve water bottle offers great convenience, which isn’t the only reason for bottled water’s rise in popularity. Many people believe that bottled water is cleaner and more healthful than tap water from public water system.
That is a misconception. In the United States, tap water is regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). By federal law, tap water is supposed to be tested every year to make sure it is safe to drink. Tap water also often contains naturally present minerals, such as calcium and magnesium. Those minerals make tap water healthful.
The impact of bottled water on the environment is staggering. Approximately 2.7 million tons of plastic are turned into disposable bottles each year. The manufacturing of all those bottles requires large quantities of crude oil and water. That process produces greenhouse gases. Bottled water is often shipped long distances to reach consumers, sometimes across vast continents. The transportation of the product uses even more fossil fuels and creates more pollution.
“Back to the tap” movements are cropping up around the world. They encourage people to use tap water and reusable “sports” bottles rather than bottled water. Colleges and universities have begun to ban the use and sale of bottled water on their campuses. San Francisco, Concord (Massachusetts), and other cities across the United States have adopted bans on single-serve water bottles. Cities in Canada (Toronto), Australia (New South Wales), and several states in India have taken similar action. Many bottled water companies are trying to do their part. They have reduced the amount of plastic in their bottles and bottle caps. Bottled water has become an international phenomenon, and it can be an important source of safe drinking water. We should not lose sight of a more environmentally friendly source, however: the water that comes out of our taps.
1. Why do so many people prefer to drink bottled water according to the passage?2. Find out all the advantages of tap water mentioned in the passage.
3. How does bottled water negatively affect the environment?
4. Design a slogan to appeal to your schoolmates “Back to the tap” .
