单选题 Honeybee populations declined by 13.6% over the winter, according to a survey of beekeepers across England. Losses were most severe in the north-east, where the survey recorded a loss rate of 17.1%.
Experts worry that the declines will affect plant productivity. There are also concerns that the declines, along with drought conditions in some area, will mean less English honey this year.
Martin Smith, president of the British Beekeepers Association, which carried out the survey, said: 'If this was measured against similar losses in livestock, it would be seen as disastrous and there would be great concern on the knock-on impact of food prices.'
Beekeepers are puzzled by the decline because the cold winter and early spring should have favoured bees. They stay 'clustered' tightly in their hives when it is cold and dry, saving energy for spring foraging when the temperature rises about 12℃.
However, there is good news that the rate of colony loss has slowed. Four years ago, one in three hives was wiped out.
Beekeepers suspect that poor nutrition is a likely cause of weakness in adult bees that makes them succumb to diseases spread by a parasitic mite.
'The varroa mite is the number one reason why people lose bees, so the government needs to increase research to cure diseases caused by varroa,' said Smith. 'But a colony that has a good source of pollen and nectar will go into winter more strongly and better able to fend off disease.'
The association is calling on everyone who has a garden, small, to plant bee-friendly plants this summer. 'It is really important that there are flowering nectar-rich plants around in August, September and October to provide the nutrition that's needed so the bees can top up their stores of honey in the hive to see them through winter,' said Smith.
A campaign being launched next week to save all bees, spearheaded by Sam Roddick and Neal's Yard Remedies, pins the blame for the decline on pesticide. It will start a petition to hand to Downing Street in October to ban the use of a class of pesticides that has been implicated in bee deaths across the world.
Roddick said, 'These neonicotinoid pesticides penetrate the plant and indiscriminately attack the nervous system of insects that feed off them, disorientating bees, impairing their foraging ability and weakening their immune system, causing bee Aids. On current evidence, Italy, Germany and Slovenia have banned some varieties. In the UK, it's up to the people to show the government that if there is any doubt that they are contributing to bee deaths, we need to ban them.'
A spokesman for the government's National Bee Unit said: 'The UK has a robust system for assessing risks from pesticides and all evidence shows neonicotinoids do not pose an unacceptable risk when products are used correctly, but we will not hesitate to act if presented with any new evidence.'

单选题 What can we safely infer from the first paragraph?

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】推断题。文章第一段讲到Honeybee populations declined by 13.6% over the winter, according to a survey of beekeepers across England. Losses were most severe in the north-east, where the survey recorded a loss rate of 17.1%. (英国蜂农调查，蜜蜂数量在冬天下降了13.6%，而东北部的损失尤其严重，损失率达到17.1%。)，英国位于北半球，冬季非常寒冷，而在冬天，英国东北部比英国其他地区气温更低，文章讲到英国东北部损失率更高，由此可知，越寒冷，蜜蜂损失率越高，那么寒冷天气可能会对蜜蜂产生不良影响。因此，正确答案是D。

单选题 Which of the following is not the reason of less honey in Britain according to scientists?

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】细节题。根据题目中less honey in Britain可定位至文章第二段，根据Experts worry that the declines will affect plant productivity. There are also concerns that the declines, along with drought conditions in some area, will mean less English honey this year. (专家担心蜜蜂数量的下降会影响工厂生产力，加之一些地区干旱的情况，可能会导致今年英国蜂蜜的产量减少。)可知，蜜蜂数量的下降、工厂生产力的下降和一些地区的干旱情况是专家担心蜂蜜产量下降的三大因素，而B项“蜂农明显减少”文章并未提及，不能构成蜂蜜产量下降的原因。

单选题 What leads to bee Aids according to Roddick?

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】细节题。根据题目中的bee Aids可定位至文章第十段，根据These neonicotinoid pesticides penetrate the plant and indiscriminately attack the nervous system of insects that feed off them, disorientating bees, impairing their foraging ability and weakening their immune system, causing bee Aids. (这些新烟碱类的农药会渗透到农药中，任意侵蚀以这些植物为食的昆虫的神经系统，迷惑蜜蜂，损害它们的觅食能力，从而降低它们的免疫能力，最终导致蜜蜂患上艾滋病。)可知，neonicotinoid pesticides“新烟碱类的农药”是导致蜜蜂患艾滋病的原因，因此选择D。