TOEFL Listening

🎧 Listening Transcript

Listen to part of a lecture in a biology class. The professor is discussing the behavior of honeybees. Professor: Now, we all know honeybees are social insects, but their communication system is truly remarkable. When a forager bee finds a good nectar source, it returns to the hive and performs a 'waggle dance.' This dance conveys the direction and distance of the food relative to the sun. For example, if the bee dances straight up on the vertical comb, it means the food is directly toward the sun. If it dances at an angle to the vertical, that angle indicates the direction of the food relative to the sun's position. The duration of the waggle run also matters—it signals the distance. Longer runs indicate farther sources. Interestingly, recent studies show that bees adjust their dance based on the quality of the nectar. If the nectar is very sugary, they dance more vigorously and for a longer time, which recruits more nestmates. However, if the source is poor, they may not dance at all. This ensures the colony's efficiency. So, the dance is not just a simple message; it's a dynamic response to environmental conditions.