托福口语 Task 4

Today we're going to talk about a fascinating phenomenon in animal behavior called 'tool use' – the ability of animals to use objects from their environment to achieve a goal. While we often think of tool use as a human trait, many animals exhibit this behavior, and it reveals important insights into their cognitive abilities. Let me give you two examples from different species. First, consider the sea otter. Sea otters feed on shellfish like clams and crabs, which have hard shells. To break these open, the otter will float on its back, place a stone on its chest, and then smash the shellfish against the stone until it cracks. This is a clear use of a tool – the stone – to obtain food. Second, think about the New Caledonian crow. This bird is famous for its ability to craft tools from leaves or twigs. It will shape a twig into a hook and then use that hook to extract insect larvae from crevices in tree bark. The crow even modifies the tool to make it more effective, showing foresight and problem-solving. Both examples demonstrate that tool use is not just a human skill but a learned, adaptive behavior in animals.