Part 2
Describe an interesting animal that you have seen.
You should say:
? what is the animal like
? where you saw the animal
? what is special about this animal
and explain why you think it is interesting.
Model Response: The most interesting animal I have ever seen is the gecko. I still have a very clear memory of that visit to the local zoo when I was only a second-grader. It was a field trip organized by my elementary school, and its purpose was to make us schoolchildren familiar with wildlife. I saw the gecko in the reptile pavilion of the zoo, and there were several of them living in a big glass container in the corner. I was attracted by their brightly colored skin and exotic shape at the first sight. So I went over to take a close look. They seemed to show little interest in human visitors, and they preferred to stay away from the lights and hide behind or beneath the artificial wood branches and stones inside the container. According to the curator, geckos are small and medium-sized lizards that are found in warm climates throughout the world. There are about 2000 different species of gecko, and most of them are well-known for their specialized toe pads that enable them to climb smooth and vertical surfaces. Perhaps this is the most amazing thing about the gecko: their toes have a special adaptation that allows them to stick to or be glued to most surfaces without the use of liquids or surface tension. Another incredible aspect of the gecko’s life is their defense mechanism. In face of a predator, they can either produce a foul-smelling material that drives the predator away or drop their tails in defense.
