托福口语 Task 4

Today, we're going to talk about animal camouflage, specifically a strategy called 'disruptive coloration.' The main point is that some animals have patterns that break up their body outline, making it harder for predators to recognize them as a whole. This is different from simply blending in with the background. Let me give you two examples. First, consider the zebra. Its black and white stripes don't match the savanna grass, but when a group of zebras stands together, the stripes create a confusing, moving pattern that makes it difficult for a lion to single out one individual. The lion sees a blur of stripes, not a clear zebra shape. Second, think of the military's use of camouflage on tanks and ships. They paint bold, irregular shapes—like patches of dark and light—on the vehicle. These patches break up the vehicle's smooth, recognizable contour. When viewed from a distance, the human eye tends to see the patches separately, not the whole tank. So, in both cases, the key is not matching the background but disrupting the outline.