托福口语 Task 4

Today we're going to discuss a fascinating concept in animal behavior called 'tool use' — the ability of animals to use objects from their environment to achieve a goal. This was once thought to be a uniquely human trait, but we now know that several species exhibit this behavior. Let me give you two examples. First, consider the sea otter. Sea otters often eat hard-shelled prey like clams or sea urchins. To break open these shells, they will float on their backs and place a stone on their chests, then smash the prey against the stone. This is a clear use of a tool to obtain food. Second, there’s the New Caledonian crow. These birds are known for their remarkable problem-solving skills. In the wild, they will craft a hook from a twig or leaf, then use that hook to pull insects out of tree bark or crevices. This is not just using a ready-made tool, but actually manufacturing one. These examples show that tool use is a flexible and adaptive behavior that appears across different species, driven by ecological needs.