每天坚持背默
In the early days of the settlement of Australia,enterprising settlers unwisely introduced the European rabbit.It had no natural enemies in the Antipodes,so that it multiplied with that promiscuous abandon characteristic of rabbits.It overran the whole continent.It caused devastation by burrowing and devouring herbage which might have maintained millions of sheep and cattle.Scientists discovered that this particular variety of rabbit (and）apparently not（no） other animals)was susceptible to a fatal virus disease myxomatosis.By infecting the animal and letting them loose in the burrows ,local epidemics of the disease could be created.Later it was found that there was a type of mosquito which acted as the carrier of the disease and passed it on to the rabbits.So while the rest of the world was trying to get rid of mosquitoes,Australia was encouraging this one.It effectively spread the disease all over the continent,and drastically reduced the rabbit population.It later became apparent that rabbits were developing a degree of resistance to the disease，（so that the rabbit population was unlikely to be completely exterminated）.There were hopes ,however,that the problem of the rabbit would become manageable.
Ironically,Europe,which had bequeathed the rabbit as a pest to Australia,acquired the disease as a pestilence.A French physician decided to get rid of wild rabbits in（on） his own estate and introduced myxomatosis.It did not ,however,remain within （the）confines of his estate.It spread through France,where wild rabbits are not generally regarded as pest but a sport and a useful food supply,and it spread to Britain,where wild rabbits are regarded as a pest but demesticated rabbits,equally susceptible to the disease ,are a basis of a profitable fur industry.The question became one of whether man can （could）control the disease he had invented.
