The Reading / Listening - Honey Bees - Level 1

Scientists in Australia made an exciting discovery about honey bees. It is about why a bee's stinger puts venom into a person's skin after it comes off the bee's body. The scientists videoed the stinger. The video showed that the stinger works like a pump. It has two small parts that move backwards and forwards. This keeps the venom flowing into the skin. A researcher hopes the discovery will be useful. Similar pumps could give medicine to people.

A bee sting can be very painful. It can be dangerous for people with allergies. Some people have a serious reaction. Their throat may swell up, or they may have trouble breathing. If someone is stung, they should remove the stinger. This will stop more venom going into the body. The person should also wash the area with soap and water. If the person feels unwell, someone should call the emergency services.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Honey Bees - Level 0,  Honey Bees - Level 2   or  Honey Bees - Level 3

Sources
  • https://phys.org/news/2026-10-high-video-reveals-honey-bee.html
  • https://www.popsci.com/environment/how-bee-stingers-work-saws-pump-venom/
  • https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/honey-bee-sting-explained-9.7376578


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. an exciting discovery
  2. a bee's stinger puts venom into
  3. the stinger works like
  4. It has two small
  5. move backwards and
  6. This keeps the venom flowing
  7. A researcher hopes the discovery
  8. Similar pumps could give
  1. forwards
  2. will be useful
  3. a person's skin
  4. medicine to people
  5. parts
  6. about honey bees
  7. into the skin
  8. a pump

Paragraph 2

  1. A bee sting can
  2. It can be dangerous for people
  3. people have a serious
  4. Their throat
  5. they may have trouble
  6. If someone is stung, they should
  7. The person should also wash
  8. call the emergency
  1. remove the stinger
  2. reaction
  3. may swell up
  4. with allergies
  5. services
  6. the area with soap
  7. be very painful
  8. breathing

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists in Australia (1) _________________________________________________ discovery about honey bees. It is (2) _________________________________________________ bee's stinger puts venom into a person's (3) ________________________________________________ comes off the bee's body. The scientists videoed the stinger. The video showed that the stinger works (4) _________________________________________________. It has two small parts that move backwards and forwards. This keeps (5) _____________________________________________ into the skin. A researcher hopes the discovery will be useful. Similar pumps could (6) _________________________________________________ people.

A bee sting can (7) _________________________________________________. It can be dangerous for (8) _________________________________________________. Some people have a serious reaction. Their throat (9) _________________________________________________, or they may have trouble breathing. If someone is stung, they should remove the stinger. This will (10) _____________________________________________ going into the body. The person should also (11) _________________________________________________ with soap and water. If the person feels unwell, someone should (12) _________________________________________________ services.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ScientistsinAustraliamadeanexcitingdiscoveryabouthoneybees.Itis
aboutwhyabee'sstingerputsvenomintoaperson'sskinafteritcomesof
fthebee'sbody.Thescientistsvideoedthestinger.Thevideoshowedtha
tthestingerworkslikeapump.Ithastwosmallpartsthatmovebackward
sandforwards.Thiskeepsthevenomflowingintotheskin.Aresearcherh
opesthediscoverywillbeuseful.Similarpumpscouldgivemedicinetope
ople.Abeestingcanbeverypainful.Itcanbedangerousforpeoplewithall
ergies.Somepeoplehaveaseriousreaction.Theirthroatmayswellup,o
rtheymayhavetroublebreathing.Ifsomeoneisstung,theyshouldremo
vethestinger.Thiswillstopmorevenomgoingintothebody.Thepersons
houldalsowashtheareawithsoapandwater.Ifthepersonfeelsunwell,s
omeoneshouldcalltheemergencyservices.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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