托福口语 Task 4

Today, we're going to talk about a fascinating concept in animal behavior called 'behavioral flexibility.' This refers to an animal's ability to adjust its behavior to new or changing environments, rather than relying solely on instinct. Let me give you two examples. First, consider the urban crow. In cities, crows have learned to use cars as nutcrackers. They drop walnuts on crosswalks, wait for cars to drive over them, and then retrieve the cracked nuts when the traffic light turns red. This behavior wasn't inherited; it was learned by observing and adapting to human traffic patterns. Second, think about the octopus. In a laboratory setting, researchers placed a tasty crab inside a sealed jar. The octopus, after exploring the jar, managed to unscrew the lid by rotating it—a behavior not seen in its natural ocean habitat. This shows the octopus could solve a novel problem through trial and error, not just fixed responses. Both examples illustrate that behavioral flexibility allows animals to survive and thrive even when their usual conditions change.