单选题 Can trees talk? Yes, but not in words. Scientists have reason to believe that trees do communicate with each other. Not long ago, researchers learned some surprising things. First, a willow tree attacked in the woods by caterpillars (毛虫) changed the chemistry of its leaves and made them taste so awful that the caterpillars got disgusted and stopped eating them. Then, even more astonishing, the tree sent out special vapors -an alarm signal stimulating its neighbors to change the chemistry of their own leaves and make them less tasty.
Communication, of course, doesn't need to be in words. We can talk with each other by a smile, frown, or shrug of our shoulders. We know that birds and animals use a whole vocabulary of songs, sounds, and movements. Bees dance their signals, flying in certain patterns that tell other bees where to find nectar for honey. So why shouldn't trees have ways of sending messages?

单选题 It can be inferred from the passage that caterpillars do not feed on leaves that ______
A. have an offensive taste B. are lying on the ground
C. have an unfamiliar shape D. are located near beehives

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】推理判断题。从文中第一段第五句可得知：当遭到毛毛虫攻击的时候，柳树就会改变树叶的化学成分，释放出让毛毛虫感到恶心的味道，毛毛虫就不再吃树叶。A项是“令人恶心的味道”；B项是“树叶落在地面上”；C项是“树叶形状怪异”；D项是“树叶位于蜂窝附近”。所以正确的答案为A。

单选题 According to the passage, the willow tree was able to communicate with other trees by______
A. waving its branches B. dropping its leaves
C. giving off a special vapor D. changing the color of its trunk

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】事实细节题。文中第一段最后一句：更为令人惊奇的是，柳树能发出一种特殊的气体，激起周围的树木改变其化学成分，减少原有的味道。由此可见C是正确答案。其它三个选项文中没有提及。

单选题 According to the passage, bees communicate by ______
A. touching one another B. smelling one another
C. making unusual sounds D. making special movements

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】事实细节题。文中第二段倒数第二句“蜜蜂靠跳舞、靠特定的飞行方式来告诉同伴在哪里找到花蜜”。由此可知D是正确答案。

单选题 The author believes that the incident described in the passage______
A. cannot be taken seriously
B. seems perfectly reasonable
C. should no longer be permitted
D. must be investigated more thoroughly

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】推理判断题。最后一句作者反问：“为什么树木不能有自己的方式传递信息呢?”从中可以看出作者的态度。所以B是正确答案。

单选题 Which of the following statements best describes the organization of the passage?
A. A scientific term is invented and its definition is provided.
B. A phenomenon is described and some possible causes are suggested.
C. The views of two researchers are described and contrasted.
D. A specific case is given to illustrate a general principle.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】文脉理解题。从文中我们可以知道作者先说出一种现象，然后列举了鸟、动物、蜜蜂能进行交流，最后总结出一般的规律，即树木也能进行交流。所以D选项正确，即“从特殊的现象到一般的规律”。