Exercise 2 solution

(a) UK beginner: the British National (most common size in the UK; the smaller Smith hive is also popular in Scotland, per Beekeeping Fundamentals 1).
(b) Commercial beekeeper in Germany: the square 12-frame Dadant, often called a Brother Adam hive.
(c) France or Italy: Dadant or Modified Dadant.

What the article does not say: which hive a first-time beekeeper should choose, or the relative costs, strengths and weaknesses of each design. It only says where each is common. Beekeeping Fundamentals 4 returns to getting started.