托福口语 Task 4

Today, we're going to talk about a fascinating concept in animal behavior called 'tool use.' Now, traditionally, scientists thought tool use was a sign of high intelligence, but recent research shows that some animals use tools in surprisingly simple, instinctive ways. Let me give you two examples. First, consider the sea otter. When a sea otter hunts for clams, it will dive to the ocean floor and pick up a stone. Then, floating on its back, it places the stone on its chest and uses it as an anvil to crack open the clam shell. This behavior is learned from the mother—it's not innate. Second, think of the Egyptian vulture. It uses a pebble to break ostrich eggs, which are too thick to crack by pecking. The vulture picks up a small stone and throws it at the egg repeatedly until it cracks. Interestingly, this behavior is not taught; it seems to be an innate, instinctive response. So, the main point is that tool use in animals can range from learned behaviors to purely instinctive ones, and we shouldn't assume it always reflects complex intelligence.