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(有机体).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,主要讲述了"植物的特殊语言"及其功能以及这种特殊语言对农业生产可能产生的指导意义.
解答 32.D 细节理解题.根据文章第二段中的"Plants are able to communicate with all sorts of organisms (有机体)…They do this chemically."可知,植物能够与其他生物通过化学方式进行交流.故选D,
33.C.细节理解题.根据文章第三段中的"when a plant senses that it's being eaten…on the contrary,itwill release a chemical vapor…"以及文章倒数第二段中的"Those chemicals attract friendly insectsthat attack the pests eating the plant."可知,当植物被昆虫吞食的时候,植物会释放一种化学蒸汽,这种化学蒸汽能够吸引有益的昆虫来袭击害虫.故选C.
34.B.词义猜测题.根据上下文语境可知,植物在遭受攻击时会释放一种化学物质,这种化学物质有两种功能,一是警示危险的存在,二是发出求助信息.由此可知,此处的alert应该意为"警示,警惕",即warn.故选B.
35.A.主旨大意题.通读全文可知,文章主要讲述了"植物的特殊语言"及其功能.C项既能概括文章的主题又生动风趣,尤其是talk一词充满了拟人化的幽默感.故选A.
点评 关于科教类阅读中的一些专业词语或生词,考生要学会略过某些对阅读影响不大的词.如果必须要弄清它的意思,则可以根据词形进行判断,或者从该词在句子中的功用以及与其他词语之间的关系猜测生词的意思.也可根据上下文和其他词语的按时猜测生词的含义.