Academic Reading Sample Passage 2

Academic Reading Passage 2 – Urban Beekeeping: Reviving Pollinators in Cities

Passage:
In recent years, urban beekeeping has gained popularity as cities seek sustainable solutions to declining pollinator populations. Bees play a vital role in pollinating flowers, fruits, and vegetables, which directly impacts urban agriculture and food security. Unlike traditional rural beekeeping, urban hives face unique challenges such as air pollution, limited green spaces, and fluctuating temperatures.

Despite these obstacles, urban beekeepers have found innovative ways to support healthy colonies. Rooftop gardens, community parks, and schoolyards are increasingly used as apiary sites. Beekeepers also educate city residents about the importance of pollinators, encouraging planting of bee-friendly flowers and reducing the use of pesticides.

Research indicates that urban bees often produce honey of higher nutritional quality compared to rural counterparts due to the diverse flora found in cities. Moreover, studies suggest that cities can serve as refuges for certain pollinator species, mitigating population declines seen in rural agricultural areas. Urban beekeeping not only contributes to ecological sustainability but also fosters environmental awareness among citizens.

Questions:

1. Urban beekeeping has become popular because of decreasing pollinator numbers.

   • True

   • False

   • Not Given

2. Air pollution does not affect urban bees.

   • True

   • False

   • Not Given

3. Rooftop gardens and schoolyards are used as urban apiary sites.

   • True

   • False

   • Not Given

4. Urban bees produce honey of lower quality than rural bees.

   • True

   • False

   • Not Given

5. Educating city residents about pollinators is part of urban beekeeping initiatives.

   • True

   • False

   • Not Given

6. Urban areas can help protect certain pollinator species.

   • True

   • False

   • Not Given

7. Multiple Choice: Which is a major challenge for urban beekeepers?
   a) Lack of interest from residents
   b) Air pollution and limited green spaces
   c) Poor honey demand
   d) Competition with rural beekeepers

8. Sentence Completion: Urban beekeepers encourage planting __________ to support pollinators.
   a) vegetables
   b) bee-friendly flowers
   c) trees
   d) shrubs

9. Matching Headings (choose correct paragraph heading):

   • Paragraph 1:

   • Paragraph 2:

   • Paragraph 3:

10. Multiple Choice: Urban beekeeping benefits cities by:
    a) Increasing industrial honey production
    b) Supporting ecological sustainability and raising awareness
    c) Reducing city population
    d) Replacing rural agriculture

Answer Key:

1. True

2. False

3. True

4. False

5. True

6. True

7. b) Air pollution and limited green spaces

8. b) bee-friendly flowers

9. Paragraph 1 – Why urban beekeeping is important
   Paragraph 2 – Practices and education
   Paragraph 3 – Ecological and societal benefits

10. b) Supporting ecological sustainability and raising awareness