activity of text interpretation, addressed to fifth grade students, about the lemon bee. Brazilian insect invades hives and takes over the honeys of other species. Let's get to know this bee better? So, read the text carefully! Then answer the various interpretative questions proposed!
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Read:
Brazilian insect invades hives and takes over the honeys of other species.
Have you ever heard of the lemon bee? This is a real-life character that could even inspire a movie script. She is known as a “pirate” for invading hives of other species and taking care not only of the palace of these insects, but also of everything inside. That is, honey, wax and propolis.
According to USP (University of São Paulo) researcher Tiago Francoy, honey is literally produced by one species and flavored by another. “The lemon bee has this name because it has an acid with the smell of this fruit that exudes from afar. And, unlike other species of bees, it just plunders what is ready, it doesn't produce anything,” she says.
Still according to him, this characteristic is part of his attack strategy for the species. “When these little bees choose a nest to take over, they give off that lemon scent that causes the bees inside the hive to become confused, and lose natural communication from them. From this, the lemon bee has already arrived with an advantage in this battle”, highlights the expert.
Francoy also explains that, because of this habit, many beekeepers don't like to see these bees around. But still, they play a fundamental role in nature. “We are talking about the natural elimination of insects. That is, if they invade the hives, at that moment a real war begins. And whoever is stronger survives,” she explains.
Another curiosity about the lemon bee is that, after invading the hive, it creates a somewhat unusual structure.
“They build an entrance that resembles a very aggressive spider. This is a way of looking like a threatening animal and not a nest, thus avoiding possible predators”, he points out.
The hive architecture has several false entrances. “Only one of the entries is true, the rest are forbidden. “And yet, at the end of the day, they close the only entrance to prevent intruders. They are very intelligent insects”, concludes Francoy.
Thaís Pimenta. "People's Land". Available in: .
Question 1 – In “Brazilian insect invades hives and takes care of the honeys of other species.”, the text reveals facts about the lemon bee, which:
( ) add up.
( ) alternate.
( ) contrast.
Question 2 – According to the text, the lemon bee got its name because:
( ) “does not produce anything”.
( ) “only loot what is ready”.
( ) “has an acid with the smell of that fruit that exudes from afar”.
Question 3 – In the segment “[…] the lemon bee has already arrive arriving with advantage in this battle […]”, the underlined expression is an example of the language:
( ) informal.
( ) regional.
( ) scientific.
Question 4 – In the part “That is, if they invade the hives, at that moment a real war begins.”, the text:
( ) corrects the previous information.
( ) concludes the previous information.
( ) explains the previous information.
Question 5 – The excerpt “The architecture of the hive has several false entrances.” It is:
( ) a narration.
( ) a description.
( ) an argument.
Question 6 – Identify the fragment that contains an opinion about a fact:
( ) “[…] honey is literally produced by one species and flavored by another […]”
( ) “[…] many meliponiculturists do not like to see these bees around.”
( ) “[…] it creates a somewhat unusual structure.”
Question 7 – The text about the lemon bee was built based on:
( ) in a book about insects.
( ) in the professional experience of the author.
( ) in an interview with a specialist.
Per Denise Lage Fonseca
Graduated in Letters and specialist in distance education.
