托福口语 Task 4

Today, we're going to talk about a fascinating concept in animal behavior called 'tool use' — specifically, how some animals use objects in their environment to solve problems. Now, tool use was once thought to be a uniquely human trait, but we now know that several animal species do it, and they do it in remarkably clever ways. Let me give you two examples. First, consider the sea otter. Sea otters love to eat clams, but the clams have hard shells. To crack them open, the otter will float on its back, place a stone on its chest, and then smash the clam against the stone until it opens. This requires the otter to select a suitable stone and remember to carry it with them. Second, think about the New Caledonian crow. These crows are known for making hooks out of twigs to extract insects from tree holes. They carefully shape a twig by stripping leaves and bending it, creating a tool that can reach prey that would otherwise be inaccessible. Both examples show not just spontaneous use of objects, but also planning and modification—skills that demonstrate sophisticated cognitive abilities.