Lesson 17-1 Aman-made disease
In the early days of the settlement of Australia, enterprising settlers unwisely introduced the European rabbit. This rabbit had no natural enemies in the Antipodes, so that it multiplied with that promiscuous abandon characteristic of rabbits. It overran a whole continent. It caused devastation by burrowing and by devouring the herbage which might have maintained millions of sheep and cattle. Scientists discovered that this particular variety of rabbit (and apparently noother animal) was susceptible to a fatal virus disease, myxomatosis. By infecting animals and letting them loose in the burrows, local epidemics of this disease could be created. Later it was found that there was a type of mosquito which acted as the carrier of this 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.
settlement /ˈsetlmənt/ 新拓展的居住地， 定居点
enterprising /ˈentərpraɪzɪŋ/ 有事业心的;有进取心的;有创业精神的
settler /ˈsetlər/ 移民;殖民者
promiscuous /prəˈmɪskjuəs/ 滥交的;大杂烩的，杂乱的，混杂的;
abandon /əˈbændən/ 放任;放纵
overrun / oʊvəˈrʌn/ 泛滥成灾;超过限度
devastation /ˌdevəˈsteɪʃn/ (尤指大面积的)破坏;毁灭;蹂躏
burrow /ˈbɜːroʊ/ 挖掘(洞或洞穴通道);挖洞, n. 洞穴
devour /dɪˈvaʊər/ 吞噬;吞食;吞没;毁灭
herbage /ˈɜːrbɪdʒ/ 尤指)牧草;(统称)草本植物
susceptible /səˈseptəbl/ 易受感染的， 敏感;可能…的;可以…的;
be susceptible to 易受。。。感染的，易受。。。影响的
fatal /ˈfeɪtl/ 致命的;毁灭性的;
virus /ˈvaɪrəs/ 病毒;病毒病;病毒性疾病;
myxomatosis /ˌmɪksəməˈtoʊsɪs/ 多发黏液瘤病
infect /ɪnˈfekt/ 使感染,传染;
loose /luːs/ 松开，放开,释放;放任; let loose 让乱跑
epidemic /ˌepɪˈdemɪk/ 流行病;
mosquito /məˈskiːtoʊ/ 蚊子
pass...on to 把。。。传给
