托福口语 Task 4

Today, we're going to talk about a fascinating concept in animal behavior called 'tool use.' But more specifically, I want to focus on how some animals use tools in ways that go beyond simple instinct. This is called 'innovative tool use.' Now, the main point I want to make is that innovative tool use often emerges when animals face a novel problem that their innate behaviors can't solve. Let me give you two examples. First, consider the New Caledonian crow. In the wild, these crows naturally use twigs to extract insects from tree bark. But in a laboratory experiment, when researchers presented them with a vertical tube containing food at the bottom, the crows had to solve a new problem. They couldn't just poke a stick in horizontally. So, they innovated by bending a piece of wire into a hook to lift the food out. This wasn't something they were born knowing; they had to figure it out. Second, think about dolphins. In some coastal areas of Australia, dolphins have been observed using marine sponges. They break off a sponge and wear it on their snouts while foraging on the seafloor. This protects their beaks from sharp rocks and stingray spines. But this behavior isn't universal among all dolphins; it's only seen in certain groups, and it's passed down through social learning, not genetics. So, in both cases, the animals developed a creative solution to a specific environmental challenge, showing that tool use can be a flexible, cognitive behavior.