托福口语 Task 4

Today, we're going to talk about a fascinating concept in biology called 'behavioral thermoregulation.' This is when animals actively change their behavior to control their body temperature, rather than relying solely on physiological mechanisms like sweating or shivering. Let me give you two examples. First, consider the desert iguana. When the sun gets too intense, the iguana will climb onto a rock and raise its body high off the ground, allowing air to cool it from below. It also changes its posture to face the sun directly, minimizing the surface area exposed to the heat. This way, it can stay active even during the hottest part of the day. Second, think about the honeybee. In a hive, worker bees use a clever trick to cool the colony. On hot days, some bees will leave the hive and collect water, bringing it back and spreading it over the comb. Then, other bees fan their wings rapidly, causing evaporation, which lowers the temperature inside the hive. So, in both cases, the animals are using specific behaviors to manage their thermal environment.