学进去

Can plants talk? Modern research has found something amazing: they do communicate with each other through certain “language”.

It has been known for some time that plants use chemicals (化学物质) to communicate with each other. This happens when a plant gets attacked (攻击) by insects. The plant gives out chemicals from the leaves that are being eaten. This is like a warning, or a call for help: “I’m being attacked!” When another plant gets the chemicals, it starts to give out its own, different chemicals. Some of these chemicals drive insects away. Others attract (吸引) the wasps (黄蜂)! The wasps kill the insects that are eating the plants. Scientists hope to learn more about this plant warning system (系统), so that we can use it to grow more crops.

More surprisingly, plants also use sound to communicate. People can’t hear these sounds; but plants are making them. Some plants make noises with their roots.

Most surprisingly of all, plants have an amazing system of communication that can connect nearly every plant in a forest. Scientists call this system the “wood wide web”. The wood wide web is connected underground by fungi (霉菌). It connects the roots of different plants to each other. It is in some ways similar to the Internet we use. Using the wood wide web, plants can share information and even food with each other. However, it may cause bad effects. Plants may use it to steal food from each other, or spread chemicals to attack other plants. Perhaps one day scientists will learn how to create a “firewall” to help stop these attacks within the wood wide web.

忙年

刘会然

①“年前忙，年后闲，忙忙闲闲过大年。”腊八一过，地处江南赣中的故乡，家家户户又开始为“年”而忙了。

②记忆中，故乡忙年的气氛是那么富有生机，那么和顺，那么喜庆。

③家乡人最先忙的是洗洗洗。洗桌洗凳，洗碗洗盆，洗缸洗灶，洗门洗窗……只要能洗的，件件都会洗一遍。新年新年，讲究的就是“新”。这个时候，村里的人家都会勤勤快快忙碌起来。

④腊月，除了洗，还得买。吃的、穿的、用的，一年辛苦下来，不买一点儿，好好犒劳一下自己，哪行？

⑤年前的那些天，母亲一定会去赶集。那时，集市上不像现在这样商品丰富，现成的衣服不多。母亲只能扯下几匹布，请村里的老裁缝帮我们量好尺寸，赶在年前把新衣做好。除了买布，还要买过年用的盐、酱油、茶叶、水果糖、香烟、爆竹等。集市上大红的年画到处都是，母亲喜欢买胖娃娃抱鱼、金元宝、福寿禄等有着吉祥寓意的画，回来后把年画贴在堂屋，亮亮堂堂，喜气洋洋。

⑥年前，还要忙的一件事就是做美食。

⑦上世纪八十年代，乡村的吃食比较简单，商店的食品也比较稀缺。所以很多吃食，大伙儿得自己动手做。做上几样美食，这年过得才有滋有味。

⑧老家赣中一带，人人酷爱嗑水煮西瓜子。烟火渲染后的西瓜子咬起来咵咵响，经过牙齿与舌头的缠绵，西瓜子的体味妙不可言。每年过年，少什么，也不能少西瓜子。通常，最早做好的过年吃食，就是用桂皮、八角、橘皮等香料煮好并自然晾干的西瓜子。

⑨炒货主要有三样：番薯片、黄豆和花生。那时家家户户都种番薯，因此炒番薯片最常见。在具体的制作方法上，黄豆和花生可以直接炒，番薯片就要费点周折。要先选择霜降晴朗的天气，把番薯刨成片，在锅里煮熟后，再放在篾席里晒干，之后，才将番薯片放进锅里炒。炒番薯、黄豆和花生时，都要在锅里放上细沙，让炒货受热均匀。每次听到“沙沙沙”的炒锅声，我们就会围着火灶，火急火燎地等着炒货出锅。那时，每家都是炒一小罐的黄豆和花生，炒好几麻袋番薯片。每个人都尽自己最大的本事，把凛凛的冬天过成一个幸福的期盼，一个热烈的喜庆。

⑩小年后，还会做粉蒸肉和粉蒸芋头。那个年月，家家都不是很富裕，所以粉蒸肉只做一大碗，粉蒸芋头却要做一大甑。做粉蒸芋头时，用米粉包裹芋头，再用大菜叶包裹米粉，一出蒸笼，香气四溢，惹得人直吸鼻子。每家做的粉蒸芋头，能够从正月初一吃到十五，甚至吃到正月二十几。

⑪小时候，最高兴的还是做爆米糕。爆，老家口语称“饱”，寓意温饱。糕，谐音“高”，芝麻开花节节高，谁家不想图个好彩头？因此，爆米糕成了家家户户常做的食物。落口就溶的爆米糕，不仅是小孩儿的最爱，也是老人的最爱。谁家做爆米糕后，邻居们就围坐在火灶边，帮忙的帮忙，聊天的聊天。等爆米糕做好后，你一口，我一口，大人小孩嘴里都噙着爆米糕。可不知为何，现在条件好了，市场上随时能买上爆米糕，但总是吃不出童年时爆米糕的好滋味。

⑫忙年忙年，家家忙得开心，忙得乐意，忙得和气，忙出红火幸福年。