When most people walk through a forest, they admire the trees for their height, shade, and beauty. But recent research suggests that forests are not just collections of individual trees—they are complex, connected communities.
Scientists have discovered that trees communicate underground using networks of fungi known as mycorrhizae. These tiny thread-like fungi attach to tree roots and form vast networks, sometimes called the 'Wood Wide Web.' Through these networks, trees can share nutrients, send warning signals, and even help each other survive.
For example, when one tree is attacked by insects, it can send chemical signals through the fungal network to warn nearby trees, which may then boost their own defenses in response. Older, larger trees—sometimes called 'mother trees'—have been observed sending extra nutrients to younger, smaller trees that are struggling to grow in shady conditions.
This communication is not conscious like human speech, but it suggests a surprising level of cooperation and interdependence in nature. Trees once thought to compete for sunlight and water may, in fact, be supporting one another in unseen ways.
Understanding these underground systems challenges the old idea that forests are just random gatherings of plants. Instead, they may function more like a community—interconnected, responsive, and, in some ways, intelligent. As scientists continue to study these secret networks, they’re beginning to ask a deeper question: what does it really mean to be alive and connected?
Q1: What is the central idea of the passage?
Q2: Why do scientists refer to the fungal network as the 'Wood Wide Web'?
Q3: What is the significance of the 'mother trees' mentioned in the passage?
Q4: What abstract idea is explored in the final paragraph?
Q5: What is the author’s likely purpose in writing this passage?
Printable Comprehension Practice
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Q1: What is the central idea of the passage?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: The passage explains how trees use mycorrhizal networks to communicate and support each other, revealing an unseen system of connection.
Q2: Why do scientists refer to the fungal network as the 'Wood Wide Web'?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: The term 'Wood Wide Web' is a play on 'World Wide Web,' emphasizing how trees use the fungal network to share signals and nutrients, like data online.
Q3: What is the significance of the 'mother trees' mentioned in the passage?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: The passage describes 'mother trees' as larger, older trees that can share nutrients with younger trees, showing nurturing and support within the forest system.
Q4: What abstract idea is explored in the final paragraph?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: The author ends with a philosophical question, suggesting that forest communication challenges our understanding of intelligence and connection in the natural world.
Q5: What is the author’s likely purpose in writing this passage?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: The passage focuses on recent research and discoveries about how trees communicate underground, offering scientific explanations and implications.