托福口语 Task 4

Today, we're going to talk about a fascinating phenomenon in animal behavior called 'behavioral flexibility.' This refers to an animal's ability to adjust its behavior to new or changing circumstances, which is crucial for survival. Let me give you two examples. First, consider the urban raccoon. In the wild, raccoons usually forage near water, hunting for fish and crustaceans. But in cities, they've learned to open trash cans, even those with complex latches, and to navigate busy streets at night when traffic is light. This shows they can abandon their instinctive foraging patterns and adopt new strategies. Second, think about the octopus. In the ocean, an octopus typically hides in crevices or under rocks to avoid predators. However, researchers have observed octopuses in aquariums that learn to unscrew jar lids to get food, and some even squirt water at lights to short-circuit them, causing a blackout, then sneak out of their tanks to hunt in other tanks. This demonstrates a remarkable ability to solve novel problems. So, behavioral flexibility isn't just about learning—it's about applying past knowledge to entirely new situations, which these animals do with surprising creativity.