Busy Bees and Blooming Plants

Lexile: 590 | Grade: 3

Passage

Bees are more than just tiny insects that buzz around flowers. They play an important role in helping plants grow, make fruit, and produce seeds. Bees are pollinators. That means they help move pollen from one flower to another.

When a bee lands on a flower, its body picks up little bits of yellow dust called pollen. As the bee flies to the next flower, some of the pollen rubs off. This helps the flower make seeds. Without pollination, many plants would not grow the fruits and vegetables we eat.

Bees don’t mean to be helpful—they are just looking for food. Bees drink sweet nectar from flowers. While doing that, they accidentally collect and spread pollen.

Farmers love bees because they help crops like apples, tomatoes, and almonds grow. In fact, some farmers bring bee hives to their fields just during blooming season!

So next time you see a bee buzzing nearby, remember: it’s not just working for itself—it’s helping plants and people too.

Questions

Q1: What is the main idea of the passage?

  • A. Bees drink water from puddles.
  • B. Bees fly only in the spring.
  • C. Bees help plants grow by spreading pollen.
  • D. Bees should be kept away from flowers.

Q2: What does the word 'pollinators' mean in the passage?

  • A. Animals that sleep in flowers
  • B. Creatures that drink water from leaves
  • C. Insects that help move pollen between flowers
  • D. Farmers who grow flowers

Q3: Why do farmers bring bees to their fields?

  • A. So bees can build hives in the dirt
  • B. So bees can help their plants grow
  • C. So bees will eat harmful bugs
  • D. So bees can rest during blooming season

Q4: What do bees collect from flowers to eat?

  • A. Seeds
  • B. Rainwater
  • C. Nectar
  • D. Leaves

Q5: What happens when a bee carries pollen from one flower to another?

  • A. The flowers turn brown
  • B. The plant makes seeds or fruit
  • C. The bee builds a new hive
  • D. The flower closes its petals

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Answers & Reasoning

Q1: What is the main idea of the passage?

✅ Correct Answer: C

💡 Reasoning: The passage explains how bees help plants grow by moving pollen from one flower to another.

Q2: What does the word 'pollinators' mean in the passage?

✅ Correct Answer: C

💡 Reasoning: The passage explains that pollinators like bees help move pollen to help flowers make seeds.

Q3: Why do farmers bring bees to their fields?

✅ Correct Answer: B

💡 Reasoning: The passage says that farmers bring bee hives to their crops because bees help pollinate the plants.

Q4: What do bees collect from flowers to eat?

✅ Correct Answer: C

💡 Reasoning: The passage says bees drink sweet nectar while visiting flowers.

Q5: What happens when a bee carries pollen from one flower to another?

✅ Correct Answer: B

💡 Reasoning: The passage explains that when bees move pollen, it helps flowers grow seeds and fruits.