TOEFL Speaking Task 4 Practice Test #31

Narrator: Listen to part of a lecture in a biology class.

Professor: So we’ve talked quite a bit about various physical characteristics of animals living in the wild. Features that act to protect them in the wild. But, what about young animals? The ones that need the most protection from predators. Well, they also have special features that help them survive. Features that are temporary, until they grow into adulthood. For one thing, many young animals have features that are useful for camouflage, which help them hide from predators. These features help the young animal blend into the surroundings, hide in the trees or bushes and not be seen by predators. For example, baby lions are born with spotted fur which helps them blend into the African grasslands. For about three months, before they can even walk, the baby lions have spots that allow them to lie in the grasses and blend into the surroundings, making it much more difficult for predators to see them.

Many young animals also develop temporary physical features that help them move quickly or efficiently in their environments. With this special help, they can move in unusual ways to escape from predators. Again, these additional physical features go away as the animal matures and learns to protect itself in other ways. An interesting example of this is a type of bird that typically lives on water. The baby birds, which can’t fly yet, have what looks like a finger on the end of their wings which they use to climb trees or bushes to escape. As they mature, the wings fully develop and they’re able to fly.