B2 First · Part 1: Multiple-choice cloze · Rooftop beekeeping in cities

Multiple-choice cloze

Walk past a hotel or office block in the centre of many European cities and it might never (1) to you that thousands of bees are living above your head. Over the past fifteen years, rooftop beekeeping has (2) in popularity, with schools, restaurants and even department stores keeping hives. Supporters say the bees benefit (3) the wide variety of flowers found in parks and gardens, which can actually be greater than in the countryside, where farmers often (4) a single crop across huge areas. Not everyone is convinced, however. Some scientists (5) out that honeybees compete with wild bees for food, and that putting too many hives in one area could do more harm than (6). In their view, planting more flowers would help insects far more than simply increasing the (7) of hives. Even beekeepers admit that the hobby is not something to be taken (8). Hives need regular checks throughout the warmer months, and a beekeeper who ignores them for a few weeks may find that the whole colony has gone.