Page 47 - English Grammar - IX-X

9. Find a word from the passage which means ‘moved in a particular direction’. (para 1)

10. Who wrote The Great Gatsby?
11. Rachel Carson’s book is Common Sense. (True/False)

12. Does the author suggest reading about the places you have never been to? (Yes/No)

V. Read the following passage carefully.

PLIGHT OF BEES OF BEES
PLIGHT
(1) Bees are the biggest pollinators on the earth. They are an important part of the
process through which food comes on our table. Every third meal that comes to our
mouth has been due to continuous pollination done by the bees. Bees play a very
important role in maintaining the balance in the ecosystem. Bees pollinate 84% crops
grown by humankind, but today, they are in grave danger. Many reasons, natural as
well as man-made, have been classified as the reasons for the plight of bees today.

(2) It is very important that we understand the plight of bees and the threat it has in
store for us. The bees are one of the strongest pillars of human existence. They
have a direct impact on the global food chain. Any serious impact on the health of
bees will affect the humanity in the long run. We can choose to remain ignorant
of the fact. After all, ignorance is bliss. But feigned ignorance is an unpardonable
sin for which our future generations will have to pay by starving or by facing food
scarcity. The food on our table will get restricted to wind pollinated crops like
wheat, barley, and corn.

(3) Most insecticides and pesticides pose a great threat to the bees. A chemical compound
called neonicotinoids has been specifically blamed to have escalated the problem.
This compound is found in most of the pesticides sprayed on the crops. When bees
sit on the crops, this pesticide poisons them, causing mass death of bees. Instead of
finding a solution to this problem, the companies and governments benefitting from
the sales of this pesticide are busy defending the use of neonicotinoids.
(4) The other problem is the shortage of food for bees. Bees need flowers to suck the
nectar for their survival. But croplands spread upon acres and acres of land at a stretch,
making it difficult for the bees to get proper food. This has also led to a decrease in
the number of bee colonies.
(5) The time has come that we realise the importance of bees for our survival and take
steps to ensure that they can co-exist. If corrective measures are not taken on time,
the bees can also face the danger of extinction. With the increasing load of population,
it is important that more land is brought under cultivation and, hence, expansion is
necessary. But, the price to be paid for this expansion will be very heavy, if we are
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