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 an example of each. First, defensive mimicry. Consider the monarch butterfly, which is toxic to birds because it feeds on milkweed. The viceroy butterfly, however, is not toxic, but it has evolved to look almost identical to the monarch. Birds that have learned to avoid the monarch also avoid the viceroy, giving it protection. Second, aggressive mimicry. The anglerfish, which lives in the deep ocean, has a fleshy growth on its head that glows and wiggles like a small fish. When a predator or prey approaches to investigate, the anglerfish quickly snaps it up. So, in both cases, mimicry helps the animal survive—either by avoiding being eaten or by catching food more easily.