Breaking News English

Everyone knows that bees are busy. There is even a [say / saying] in English that one can be "as busy as a bee". However, little is [knowing / known] about how bees play. Scientists have discovered one [way / wait] that bees could relax after a busy day [making / doing] honey - they play with balls. The scientists are from Queen Mary University of London. They did different tests [on / in] bees "playing" with different things. The insects [particular / particularly] liked playing with small, wooden balls. The researchers said the way bees played was a little [likely / like] how humans play. Younger bees rolled [more / much] balls than older bees, while adult males spent [long / longer] playing with balls than adult females. The ball-rolling bees are the [first / fast] known insects to "play".

The researchers experimented on 45 bumblebees in a [special / specially] designed test area. The bees were given two [option / options] . The first choice was to fly or walk [direct / directly] to get a sugary [treat / threat] . The second choice was to get to the treat by [going / go] around different coloured wooden balls. Most of the bees [decided / decision] to play with the balls and then get their treat. A researcher said the experiments showed that bees are more [thoughtful / thinker] than people [believed / belief] . She said: "Bees are a million miles from the mindless, unfeeling creatures they are traditionally believed to be." She added that: "This research provides a strong [indicate / indication] that insect minds are [far / for] more sophisticated than we might imagine."