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American beekeeping operations have been hit hard by what scientists call colony collapse
disorder(C.C.D.). Almost half of their worker bees have disappeared during the past season.
C.C.D. has also been reported in Israel, Europe and South America. Bees fly away from the hive
and never return. Sometimes they are found dead; other times they are never found. Many crops
and trees depend on pollination (授粉) by bees to help them grow.
A new report says virus may be at least partly responsible for the disorder in honey bee colonies
in the United States. This virus is called Israeli acute paralysis virus. It was first identified in Israel
in 2004. Ian Lipkin at Columbia University in New York and a team reported the new findings in
Science magazine. Doctor Lipkin says the virus may not be the only cause. He says it may work
with other causes to produce the collapse disorder.
The team found the virus in colonies with the help of a map of honey bee genes that was published
last year. They examined thirty colonies affected by the disorder. They found evidence of the virus
in twenty-five of them, and in one healthy colony. The next step is further testing of healthy hives.
The researchers suggested that the United States may have imported the disorder in bees from
Australia. They say the bees may carry the virus but not be affected.
The idea is that unlike many American bees, the ability of Australian bees to fight disease has no
t been hurt by the varroa mite(全球性的蜂虱). This insect attacks honey bees, which could make
the disorder more likely to affect a hive. Australian bee producers reject these suspicions.
And some researchers suspect that bee production in the United States is down mainly because
of the weather. Honey bees gather nectar(花蜜) from flowers and trees. The sweet liquid gives them
food and material to make honey. But cold weather this spring in the Midwest reduced the flow of
nectar in many flowers. Many bees may have starved. Dry weather in areas of the country could
also be playing a part.
Wayne Esaias is a NASA space agency scientist who keeps bees in his free time. He lives in
central Maryland, where he has found that flowers are blooming a month earlier than they did in
1970, which may be partly responsible for the disorder. Wayne Esaias is organizing a group of
beekeepers to document nectar flow around the country.
1. The researchers found the virus ______.
A. with the help of colony collapse disorder
B. by researching the causes of bee death
C. with the help of a map of honey bee genes
D. with the help of a scientist of NASA
2. What is the passage mainly about?
A. American beekeeping industry has been strongly influenced by the bee disorder.
B. Studies are being carried out on the causes of the bee disorder, but questions remain.
C. How the causes of the bee disorder in U.S have been found.
D. The bee production in U.S is down because of Israeli acute paralysis virus.
3. How many possibilities may be involved in the bee disorder according to the passage?
A. Three.
B. Four.
C. Five.
D. Six.
4. We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. Israeli acute paralysis virus should be responsible for the disorder
B. the solution to the bee disorder will be found eventually
C. American bees are more likely to defend themselves than Australian bees
D. the crop and plant production in U.S may be influenced by the bee disorder