13．Talking plants might sound like characters in a fairy tale．But recent scientific studies have shown that plants communicate with each other and with other living things in a surprising number of ways．To understand them，scientists say，we just have to learn their language．Farmers are especially interested in what plants have to say．
"Plants are able to communicate with all sorts of organisms（有機體）．They can communicate with giant bacteria，with other plants and with insects．They do this chemically，"said Cahill，an Ecology Professor of the University of Alberta in Canada．
Plant scientists are just beginning to understand this chemical"language"．Cahill says studies have shown，for example，that plants can evaluate conditions in their immediate environment and take appropriate actions．Plants have an ability，for example，to signal pain or discomfort caused by anything from temperature extremes to an insect attack．Jack Schultz，a professor of chemical ecology at the University of Missouri．says when a plant senses that it's being eaten，it cannot walk away from trouble；on the contrary，it will release a chemical vapor that alerts other plants nearby．
"Their language is a chemical language，and it involves chemicals that move through the air，which are easily to be changed．and most of all are smells that we are familiar with，"Schultz ex-plained．
"All plants responded to the attack by changing their chemistry to defend themselves，"Schultz recalled．"But we were quite surprised to find that nearby plants also changed their chemistry to defend themselves，even though they were not part of the experiment．"
Studies have also shown that plants under attack release pleasant chemicals．Those chemicals attract friendly insects that attack the pests eating the plant．
32．The recent scientific studies have shown that plants canD．
A．respond to the attack by giving off poisonous chemicals
B．hardly react to any sudden change in temperature
C．use a very special chemical language which is familiar to us
D．communicate with other living things in a chemical way
33．When being eaten by a pest，the plant willC．
A．walk away from trouble
B．change its chemistry to kill the insect
C．give off chemicals to attract friendly insects to attack the pest
D．release a chemical vapor to"ask"other plants for help
34．The underlined word"alerts"most probably means"B"．
A．protects
B．warns
C．threatens
D．allows．
35．Which of the following would be the best title for the passage？A
A．How Plants"Talk"
B．Plants and Insects
C．Recent Scientific Studies
D．How to Understand Plant Languages．
分析 本文是一篇科普文，主要講述了"植物的特殊語言"及其功能以及這種特殊語言對農業生產可能產生的指導意義．
解答 32．D 細節理解題．根據文章第二段中的"Plants are able to communicate with all sorts of organisms （有機體）…They do this chemically．"可知，植物能夠與其他生物通過化學方式進行交流．故選D，
33．C．細節理解題．根據文章第三段中的"when a plant senses that it's being eaten…on the contrary，itwill release a chemical vapor…"以及文章倒數第二段中的"Those chemicals attract friendly insectsthat attack the pests eating the plant．"可知，當植物被昆蟲吞食的時候，植物會釋放一種化學蒸汽，這種化學蒸汽能夠吸引有益的昆蟲來襲擊害蟲．故選C．
34．B．詞義猜測題．根據上下文語境可知，植物在遭受攻擊時會釋放一種化學物質，這種化學物質有兩種功能，一是警示危險的存在，二是發出求助信息．由此可知，此處的alert應該意為"警示，警惕"，即warn．故選B．
35．A．主旨大意題．通讀全文可知，文章主要講述了"植物的特殊語言"及其功能．C項既能概括文章的主題又生動風趣，尤其是talk一詞充滿了擬人化的幽默感．故選A．
點評 關于科教類閱讀中的一些專業詞語或生詞，考生要學會略過某些對閱讀影響不大的詞．如果必須要弄清它的意思，則可以根據詞形進行判斷，或者從該詞在句子中的功用以及與其他詞語之間的關系猜測生詞的意思．也可根據上下文和其他詞語的按時猜測生詞的含義．
