History is filled with many legends of man — eating plants and trees. A man — eating flower was described in the ship’s log of Arkwright. He described this as a large flower with bright petals (花瓣) capable of releasing a special smell that causes the victim to rest on the large petals. Once the victim was in its trap, the flower would close over the victim and digest him alive.

There really are carnivorous plants that can catch and consume small insects, but are there or have there ever been meat-eating plants capable of catching humans, as some explorers have claimed? In this article, we’ll look at one of the most famous man-eating plants in the world and what discoverers and the locals had to say about it — Nicaraguan Vampire Vine.

Found in the swamps (沼泽地) of Nicaragua, local natives refer to this plant as “The Devil’s Snare”. It has been described as an octopus in general appearance. A naturalist called Dunstan spent two years studying the local plant and animal life and made this discovery in a swamp close to Lake Nicaragua. Dunstan was collecting specimens in the area when his dog let out a loud cry.

Unsure whether or not this was due to pain, terror, or a combination of the two, Dunstan rushed to the source of the dog and saw it in a network of roots. These were dark in color, somewhat black, and sent out a sticky gum that had a horrible smell. Dunstan used his knife to cut these tendrils (触须) immediately but was initially unable to do so. Not only were these difficult to cut with just his knife, but they actively fought back.

Dunstan did manage to save his dog, but both suffered injuries during this encounter. Dunstan’s both hands were swelling; his dog was covered in blood. The dog didn’t know which way to go and had trouble walking. Not much else is known about this plant, but the locals do fear it immensely and leave it well alone.

【小题1】How did the man-eating flower attract victims to get close to it?

A．Set up a trap.	B．Show their beautiful appearance.
C．Send out a smell.	D．Provide them with petals to rest.

【小题2】What is the underlined word “carnivorous” mean in the second paragraph?

A．vegetarian

B．world-famous

C．cruel

D．meat-eating

【小题3】Which of the following best describe Nicaraguan Vampire Vine?

A．It appears together with octopus.

B．It could strike back when attacked.

C．It had tendrils that could digest dogs.

D．It was found by Dunstan in Lake Nicaragua.

【小题4】What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．The dog wasn’t seriously hurt in the end.

B．Dunstan saved his dog without being hurt.

C．People learned more about this plant in detail.

D．The locals didn’t dare to get close to the plant.