托福口语 Task 4

Today we're going to talk about a fascinating adaptation in the animal kingdom: mimicry. Specifically, I want to focus on how some animals use mimicry not just to hide from predators, but to actively attract prey. This is called aggressive mimicry. Let me give you two examples. First, consider the anglerfish. It lives in the deep, dark ocean where food is scarce. It has a fleshy growth on its head that glows and wiggles like a small fish. When a smaller fish is attracted to this glowing lure, the anglerfish quickly snaps it up. The lure mimics a potential meal, but it's actually a trap. Second, think of the bolas spider. This spider doesn't spin a web. Instead, it produces a single sticky thread with a glob of silk at the end, which it swings. The spider also emits a chemical that mimics the pheromone of a female moth. Male moths are attracted to this scent, and when they fly close, the spider swings its sticky thread to catch them. So in both cases, the predator uses deception to lure prey close enough to capture.