英語播客 A Cup of English 33 The Brilliant Bee

If you can see the photo of the bee that I recently took in my garden, you will see that it is right in the middle of a big flower. It is sitting on its target(1), working to get the pollen and the nectar. Bees are determined(2) little creatures that always make me feel lazy when I compare myself to them. I assumed that there were a few different kinds of bees, but I had no idea that there are 20,000 different kinds. Some live in communities, and some live alone. Some produce honey by gathering nectar and pollen, and others spend their time stealing those two things, instead of getting their own. We get honey and beeswax from them, but, more importantly, they are the pollinators of the world. They actually have an electrostatic charge(3), which makes pollen stick to their furry bodies, so, as they go from flower to flower, they pollinate without even realising. As well as a furry body, they have a long proboscis which is like a tongue, and two pairs of wings. Not all bees sting. The honey bee will only do so if it is threatened, and the worker honey bee actually dies if it stings. Throughout history, the bee has been a symbol of industry and hard work. Some industrious(4) cities, such as Manchester in England, have adopted the bee as its city symbol. I have taught my children to never kill any bee; they are too valuable. Plus, for quite a few years they have been under threat due to loss of habitat, parasites, and pesticides. So, when we hear a "buzz, buzz", we shouldn't be scared, we should actually be pleased that a bee is near.
1. A 'target' is a point that is aimed at.
a. The hunter practiced shooting targets before he went hunting.
b. The advertisers of diapers target mothers.
2. 'Determined' is an adjective that describes a eprson as being focused and single minded.
a. That dog is determined to catch the cat; he won't give up until he does.
b. He was determined to win the marathon, so he trained for two years.
3. 'Electrostatic'. Here we can see 'electro' from 'electricity', and 'static'. We don't often use them together.
a. If you rub a balloon on your head, your hair will stick up with static electricity.
b. An electrostatic charge is an electric charge that doesn't move, or does so very slowly.
4. Industrious is a great word. You can see that it comes from the noun 'industry'. It can describe a person, and animal, a factory, a city, or even a country.
a. Manchester is known as being an industrious city because of its history of production and invention.
b. China is an industrious nation, determined and industrious.
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