The e-nose, it turns out, could identify healthy cucumber, peper and tomato plants based on the volatile compounds they produce. It could also identify tomato leaves that had been damaged. But even more impressive, the device could tell which type of damage—by insects or with a hole punch—had been done to the tomato leaves.

With some fine-tuning, a device like the e-nose could one day be used in greenhouses to quickly spot harmful bugs, the researchers say. A device like this could also be used to identify fruits that are perfectly ripe and ready to pick and eat, says Natalia Dudareva, a biochemist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. who studies smells of flowers and plants. Hopefully, scientists believe, the device could bring large benefits to greenhouse managers in the near future.

1. We learn from the text that plants communicate with each other by¡¡¡¡¡¡.¡¡

A. making some sounds¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡B. waving their leaves

C. producing some chemicals¡¡¡¡¡¡ D. sending out electronic signals

2. What did the scientists do to find out if the e-nose worked?

A. They presented it with all common crops.

B. They fixed 13 sensors inside the device.

C. They collected different damaged leaves.

D. They made tests on damaged and healthy leaves.