托福口语 Task 4

Today, we're going to talk about a fascinating concept in biology called 'mimicry.' Mimicry occurs when one species evolves to resemble another species, often for protection. The key point is that mimicry can be either defensive or aggressive. Let me give you two examples. First, the monarch butterfly is toxic to predators because it feeds on milkweed. The viceroy butterfly, however, is not toxic, but it has evolved to look almost identical to the monarch. This is defensive mimicry because predators learn to avoid the bright orange pattern, and the viceroy benefits from this avoidance. Second, consider the anglerfish. It lives in the deep, dark ocean. It has a lure that looks like a small worm or fish, and it glows. When a smaller fish approaches to eat the lure, the anglerfish snaps it up. This is aggressive mimicry because the anglerfish uses its resemblance to food to attract prey. So, in both cases, mimicry serves as a survival strategy, but it works in opposite ways—one to avoid being eaten, the other to catch food.