B1 Preliminary (PET) Practice Paper 30

alice: Thank you for showing me around. How many hives do you have up here on the roof? george: We currently have four hives, each containing around thirty thousand bees during the summer months. alice: That's a lot of bees! How often do you check on them? george: A professional beekeeper visits once a month, but I try to observe from a distance every week too. alice: How much honey do the hives produce each year? george: Last year we harvested about forty kilograms of honey, which is quite good for a rooftop location. alice: What do you do with all that honey? george: Most of it is served at breakfast for guests, and we also give small jars as gifts to guests in premium rooms. alice: That's a lovely idea. Has the project affected the hotel's reputation at all? george: Definitely, many guests specifically mention the bees in their reviews, so it's become quite a unique selling point for us.

Urban beekeeping, once an unusual hobby confined mainly to rural areas, has expanded rapidly into cities over the past fifteen years, with hives now appearing on rooftops of office buildings, hotels, and even schools. Advocates argue that city environments can actually provide bees with a surprisingly diverse diet, since urban gardens and parks often contain a wider variety of flowering plants than large agricultural fields dominated by a single crop. When the hotel where Marcus works as a manager decided to install beehives on its roof, he was initially responsible only for arranging the installation with a local beekeeping company. However, his interest grew quickly once he began attending monthly hive inspections alongside the professional beekeepers. He found himself fascinated by the intricate social structure of the colony and the remarkable efficiency with which thousands of bees cooperated. The hotel now produces its own honey, which is served at breakfast and given as gifts to guests staying in premium rooms, creating an unexpected marketing advantage. Marcus has since completed a beginner's beekeeping course himself and hopes to install a smaller hive at his own home once local regulations permit it. He believes urban beekeeping offers city dwellers a rare opportunity to connect with nature without leaving the city entirely.

Urban beekeeping ___1___ considerable attention from environmentalists who argue that cities can support bee populations more effectively than many people assume. When a local school ___2___ to install a small hive on its roof, several parents initially expressed concern about safety. The school ___3___ a professional beekeeper to manage the hive and teach students about its importance for the local ecosystem. Students who ___4___ the hive inspections regularly have become noticeably more interested in environmental science generally. Last term, the hive ___5___ enough honey for the whole school to enjoy a small taste during an assembly. Teachers ___6___ that the project has taught students far more about responsibility and ecology than any textbook could. The head teacher now ___7___ that similar hives could be introduced at other schools in the area. If more schools ___8___ this example, urban children might grow up with a much stronger connection to nature.