Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. beekeeping
    • ex. Mark enjoys beekeeping because he likes learning about how bees live and work together.
  2. a hive
    • ex. We watched as bees flew in and out of a hive in the garden.
  3. package
    • ex. The workers packaged the cookies in colorful boxes and delivered them to the store.
  4. focus
    • ex. During music practice, the coach focuses on helping students improve their skills.
  5. deal with (someone)
    • ex. My sister knows how to deal with young children because she is a teacher.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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In Athens, Greece, urban beekeeping is becoming more popular. Many people, like 37-year-old Nikos Chatzilias, are now taking care of bees on rooftops across the city. This summer, Chatzilias looked after 30 hives on seven buildings. His 1.2 million bees made 500 kilograms of honey. Chatzilias packaged the honey himself and named each batch after the neighborhood where it was produced.

According to Chatzilias, the honey from each area of Athens tastes different. This is because bees collect nectar from local plants such as eucalyptus, acacia, bitter orange, and pine trees. Chatzilias became interested in beekeeping after taking a class in 2020. He didn’t like the taste of store-bought honey, so he decided to make his own. Now, he focuses on helping the environment and bringing nature back to the city through beekeeping.

Although urban beekeeping is not new, it can be difficult to start. Carrying hives up and down stairs and dealing with people who are afraid of bees are common problems. Still, Chatzilias believes that even in a busy city, nature can survive and bring life to the urban environment.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Bees and Honey

  • Are you afraid of bees? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What do you think about the idea of keeping beehives on rooftops (ex. it’s cool, it’s dangerous)? Discuss.
  • Do you prefer natural honey or store-bought honey? Why? Discuss.

City and Urban Life

  • Do you prefer to live in the city or the countryside? Why? Discuss.
  • Would you like to grow your own food in the city? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • How can people bring more nature into the city? Discuss.