托福口语 Task 4

Today, we're going to talk about a fascinating concept in animal behavior called 'tool use.' Now, tool use isn't just about using an object to get food; it's about modifying or manipulating an object to achieve a specific goal. This shows a higher level of cognitive ability. Let me give you two examples that illustrate this, but with a twist—the tools are used in different ways. First, consider the sea otter. Sea otters often eat clams, but the shells are hard to crack. So, they will float on their backs, place a rock on their chests, and then smash the clam against that rock. Here, the rock serves as an anvil. This is a classic example of tool use for food extraction. Second, think about the woodpecker finch from the Galapagos Islands. This bird eats insects that live deep inside tree bark. It can't reach them with its beak, so it picks up a small cactus spine or twig and pokes it into the bark to probe for insects. The spine becomes a tool to extract prey. Both examples show different uses of tools—one as a hammer, the other as a probe—but both demonstrate how animals use objects to solve problems in their environment.