托福口语 Task 4

Today, we're going to talk about a fascinating concept in biology called 'mimicry', where one species evolves to resemble another for survival. There are two main types: defensive mimicry and aggressive mimicry. Let me give you two examples. First, consider the viceroy butterfly. It looks almost identical to the monarch butterfly, which is toxic to birds. Because birds learn to avoid monarchs, they also avoid viceroys, giving the viceroy protection from predators. This is defensive mimicry. Second, think about the anglerfish, which lives in the deep, dark ocean. It has a fleshy growth on its head that glows and wiggles like a small worm. When smaller fish come to investigate, thinking it's food, the anglerfish snaps them up. This is aggressive mimicry, where the mimic lures prey by resembling something attractive. So, you see, mimicry can be used either to avoid being eaten or to catch food.