A student researching bees has taken notes:

• Bees pollinate about 75% of flowering plants • A single hive can contain 60,000 bees • Colony collapse disorder has devastated bee populations • Pesticides, parasites, and habitat loss contribute to decline • Losing bees would threaten global food security

3
reading

The student wants to explain the stakes of bee population decline.

A

A single beehive can contain up to 60,000 individual bees.

B

Colony collapse disorder has devastated bee populations worldwide.

C

The stakes of bee decline are enormous—since bees pollinate 75% of flowering plants, their loss would threaten global food security.

D

Pesticides, parasites, and habitat loss all contribute to bee decline.

Correct Answer: C

Choice C. 75% pollination and food security threat explain the stakes.