2026/09/14
英語長文問題（English Reading Passage）
Read the following passage and answer the questions below.
Beneath the quiet floor of a forest lies a complex, thriving biological communication network that challenges our traditional understanding of natural selection. For centuries, biology operates under the assumption that plants are solitary competitors, fighting relentlessly for sunlight, water, and soil nutrients. However, recent ecological research reveals that forest ecosystems are bound together by an intricate fungal framework known as the mycorrhizal network—often colloquially termed the “Wood Wide Web.”
This subterranean network is formed through a symbiotic relationship between plant roots and mycorrhizal fungi. Through photosynthesis, trees produce carbon-rich sugars and transfer a significant portion of them to the fungi. In exchange, the microscopic fungal threads, or hyphae, spread extensively through the soil, acquiring essential minerals such as phosphorus and nitrogen that the trees’ own roots cannot easily reach. [ A ] Furthermore, this interaction is not limited to a simple two-way trade between a single tree and its fungal partner; it extends across entire forest communities.
Through these interconnected fungal strands, mature trees—often referred to as “mother trees”—can distribute surplus nutrients to younger seedlings growing in the shaded understory where sunlight is scarce. [ B ] In times of pest infestation or disease, afflicted plants can transmit biochemical warning signals through the network to neighboring vegetation, enabling them to produce defensive chemicals prior to an attack. [ C ] Consequently, a forest behaves less like a collection of isolated individuals and more like a cooperative superorganism.
Despite these remarkable benefits, the mycorrhizal network faces severe threats from intensive human activities. Conventional agricultural practices, particularly deep soil plowing and the excessive application of synthetic chemical fertilizers, physically sever these fragile fungal threads and disrupt the natural soil biome. [ D ] Recognizing the vital role of these underground partnerships is essential not only for forest conservation, but also for developing sustainable agricultural models that rely on natural ecological balance rather than artificial inputs.