Queens, Workers, Drones

Each colony of honeybees consists of three classes: a) the queen who is a prolific layer of eggs; b) the worker who is the bulwark of the colony; and c) the sedentary drone whose only function is to mate with a young queen. The queen lays the eggs that hatch into thousands of female workers; some queens live as long as five years and lay up to one million eggs. The frugal worker builds and maintains the nest, collects and stores the honey, and is the antithesis of the lazy drone, or male honeybee, who does no work and has no sting. When the drone is no longer needed, the workers, in effect, liquidate *him by letting him starve to death. It's a cruel, cruel world!

Sample Sentences: Use the new words in the following sentences.

1. The usually _______novelist was frustrated * by her failure to come up with a good plot.

2. Len, the gregarious* twin, was the __________of Lon, the reticent one.

3. The typist shook off the fetters* of her ________ life and joined a mountain climbing expedition.

4. _______ shoppers occasionally badger* supermarket managers for bargains.

5. Some feel that the United States should be a _________ to the inchoate* democracies around the world.

Definitions: Match the new words with their meanings.

6. prolific ——— a. producing abundantly

7. bulwark ______ b. thrifty

8. sedentary ______ c. protection

9. frugal ______ d. exact opposite

10. antithesis ______ e. largely inactive, accustomed to sitting

Today's Idiom the world, the flesh, and the devil— temptations that cause man to sin

By entering the monastery he sought to avoid the world, the flesh, and the devil.

16th Week / 3rd Day

New Words: altruistic embellish cache coterie cupidity

Spotlight on the Worker

Let us examine the activities of the altruistic workers in greater detail. After the workers have constructed a hive of waterproof honeycomb (made from beeswax), the queen begins to lay eggs in the first cells. While some workers embel­lish the hive, others fly out in search of nectar and pollen. With their long tongues they gather nectar and use their hind legs to carry the pollen from the flowers. They fly directly back to the hive and then dance around the honeycomb, their movements indicating the direction of the flowers. Meanwhile, other workers have been cleaning cells, caring for the young, and guarding the precious cache of nectar. Another special coterie is entrusted with heating or cooling the hive. Dedicated to the welfare of the queen and the entire insect community, all of these workers display a complete absence of cupidity.

Sample Sentences:, Use the new words in the following sentences.

1. Through a fortuitous* remark, the ________of the art thieves was discovered.

2. We warned him that his reprehensible________ would eventuate* in a loss

of all his friends.

3. Dr. Albert Schweitzer went into the jungle purely for __________ reasons.

4. A__________ of bridge players made our clubroom their permanent habitat. *

5. Every time the irate* motorist told about the accident he had a tendency to_________ the story.

Definitions: Match the new words with their meanings.

6. altruistic _____ a. secret hiding place

7. embellish _____ b. unselfish

8. cache _______ c. small group having something in common

9. coterie _______ d. adorn, touch up

10. cupidity ______ e. greed

Today's Idiom to make bricks without straw—to attempt to do something without having the necessary materials (In the Bible we read that the Egyptians commanded the Israelites to do so)

My uncle's business schemes always fail because he tries to make bricks without straw.

16th Week / 4th Day

New Words: virtuosity temerity amorous progeny saturate

The Saga of the Queen Bee

Although the virtuosity of the workers is remarkable, the queen bee is really the main story. Workers choose a few larvae to be queens, feeding them royal Jelly, a substance rich in proteins and vitamins. While the queen is changing from a larva to a pupa, a team of workers builds a special cell for her. Soon the young queen hatches, eats the prepared honey, and grows strong. After she kills any rivals who have the temerity to challenge her, an amorous note is injected. She flies from the hive and mates with one or more drones on her first flight. Then the process of egg laying begins. When her progeny saturate the hive, scouts are dispatched to find a new location, and the bees swarm after their leader to begin the amazing cycle again.

Sample Sentences: Use the new words in the following sentences.

1. A landmark* in the history of _________ drama is Romeo and Juliet.

2. The eminent* artist, famous for his ^___________, was admired by classicists and beatniks alike.

3. The Bantu chief and all his ________ were noted for their valor*.

4. For having the ________ to declaim* against the majority leader, the freshman senator was given the worst committee assignments.

5. We decided to _________ ourselves with French geography before making a tour of the country.

Definitions: Match the new words with their meanings.

6. virtuosity _______ a. descendants

7. temerity _______ b. full of love

8. amorous _______ c. soak, fill up completely

9. progeny _______ d. foolish boldness

10. saturate ——— e. great technical skill

Today's Idiom to have the upper hand— to gain control

I had him at my mercy but now he has the upper hand.

17Week / 1st Day

New Words: perpetrate consummate subterfuge concoct fallacious

Дата добавления: 2015-10-30