TOEFL Integrated writing – TPO 45

Whether bees exist on Earth 200 million years before is the focus of both the writer and the professor. In the writing, three skeptics, including lacking real bee fossils, nonoccurrence of flowering plants, and lack of details in the nest, have been elaborated. The professor, however, claims that the doubts are not convincing.

As opposed to the writer’s idea that there are no fossils of actual bees before 100 million years ago, the professor states that the remains of bees may not be preserved at that time. She advances her theory by saying that the tree which can produce a special liquid to preserve the remains of bees had not existed at that time, and these species of trees become much more common later and thus can preserve the remains of bees.

The professor continues to discredit the writer’s assertion that there did not exist flowering plants which should have a close relationship with bees until 125 million years ago, by examining the fact that bees may be fed on non-flowering plants originally. To explore it further, the professor contends that bees might firstly live on firms or pipe trees, and gradually began to live on flowers during the evolution process.

It is the professor’s third argument that some chemical evidence in the structures can prove the occurrence of bees, which contradicts the view of the writer that there lack details of bees’ structures. In detail, she points out that modern bees and original bees both use a material related to water to construct their nests.

An apparent divide exists between the professor and the writer on whether bees exist on Earth 200 million years ago.