托福口语 Task 4

Today we're going to talk about a fascinating phenomenon in animal behavior called 'tool use.' While we often think of tool use as a uniquely human trait, many animals have developed remarkable abilities to use objects in their environment to solve problems. However, the key point I want to emphasize is that tool use in animals is not always innate—sometimes it is learned through observation and social interaction. Let me give you two examples. First, consider the New Caledonian crow. These birds are famous for crafting hooks from twigs to extract insects from tree bark. Interestingly, young crows do not automatically know how to make these hooks. They watch their parents and other adults, then practice and refine the technique over time. This shows that the behavior is passed down culturally. Second, think about Japanese macaques, or snow monkeys. In the 1950s, a young female monkey named Imo discovered that she could wash sweet potatoes in a stream to remove sand and improve the taste. Soon, other monkeys in her troop began imitating her, and the behavior spread through the group. Importantly, it was not genetic—it was learned and transmitted socially. So, these examples illustrate that tool use, when learned, can become a cultural tradition within animal communities.