Final answer:
The statement is true: wood, while normally an insulator, conducts electricity when struck by lightning due to the high voltage driving the current through the moisture in the tree.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement is True: Although wood is an insulator, lightning can travel through a tree to reach Earth. This occurs because lightning seeks the path of least resistance when traveling to ground. Trees, containing moisture and sap, can become conductors of electricity when the electrical resistance of wood is overcome by the extremely high voltage of a lightning strike. When lightning strikes a tree, the substantial heat generated can vaporize the sap, creating a steam explosion that splinters the wood. Therefore, even though wood is generally an insulator, the high voltage and energy of lightning can allow it to pass through a tree to the ground.