托福口语 Task 4

Today we're going to talk about a fascinating behavior in the animal kingdom called 'tool use.' While many people think tool use is unique to humans, some animals have developed remarkable abilities to use objects from their environment to solve problems. One key point I want to emphasize is that tool use in animals is not just instinctive—it often involves learning and adaptation. Let me give you two examples to illustrate this. First, consider the sea otter. Sea otters float on their backs and use stones to crack open shellfish. They place the stone on their chest, hold the shellfish in their paws, and smash it against the stone repeatedly until it opens. Interestingly, young otters learn this technique by watching their mothers, and they practice with less difficult prey before moving to tougher ones. Second, think about the New Caledonian crow. These crows are famous for making hooks out of twigs or leaves to extract insects from tree holes. They carefully shape the material, and researchers have observed that crows adjust their hook design based on the size of the hole or the type of prey. This shows not only learning but also problem-solving flexibility.