Comprehension 理解
Answer these questions:
1 Why is the rabbit regarded as a serious pest in Australia?
2 Why did it prove impossible to exterminate rabbits completely in Australia?
3 How was myxomatosis introduced to Europe?
Vocabulary 词汇
Refer to the text to see how the following words have been used, then write sentences of your own using these words: enterprising (1.1); devastation (1.3); burrowing (1.3); devouring the herbage (1.4); susceptible (1.5); fatal (1.5); epidemics (1.6); drastically reduced (11.9-10); completely exterminated (1.11); bequeathed (1.13); the confines of his estate (1.15); domesticated (1.17).
The paragraph 段落
A Drawing your information from the first paragraph (lines 1-12), write a list of points in note form to answer the following question:
How did the rabbit overrun the continent of Australia, and what steps were taken to exterminate it?
B Read the second paragraph again (lines 13-19)．Then, using the list of points given below, reconstruct the paragraph in your own words as far as possible．Do not refer to the passage until you have finished the exercise.
1 Australia acquired rabbit from Europe: a pest.
2 Europe acquired from Australia myxomatosis: a pestilence.
3 French physician introduced it---- estate.
4 It spread．
5 France: rabbit not a pest; sport; food supply.
6 Britain: rabbit: a pest; tame rabbits: fur industry.
7 Could man control his artificial disease?
C Write a paragraph of about 200 words on one of the following subjects:
1 Pest control.
2 The balance of nature.
Key structures 关键句型
A Put the words in parentheses in their correct position in these sentences．In many cases, more than one position is possible．Do not refer to the passage until you have finished the exercise:
1 In the early days of the settlement of Australia, enterprising settlers introduced the European rabbit．(unwisely) (11.1-2)
2 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．(later) (11.7-8)
3 It spread the disease all over the continent and reduced the rabbit population．(effectively, drastically) (11.9-10)
4 It became apparent that rabbits were developing a degree of resistance to the disease, so that the rabbit population was unlikely to be exterminated．(later, completely) (11.10-11)5 Europe, which had bequeathed the rabbit as a pest to Australia, acquired this man-made disease as a pestilence．(ironically) (11.13-14)
B Compare these two uses of so that:
1 This rabbit had no natural enemies in the Antipodes, so that it multiplied with that promiscuous abandon characteristic of rabbits．(11.2-3)
2 I went to Switzerland last winter so that I could do some skiing.
Write two sentences using so that in the ways shown above.
C Note the form of the verbs in italics in this sentence:
So while the rest of the world was trying to get rid of mosquitoes, Australia was encouraging this one．(11.8-9)
Complete the following sentences:
1 While Tom was doing his homework, his sister ______.
2 While my wife was seeing to the evening meal, I ______.
D Supply the missing words in this sentence．Do not refer to the passage until you have finished the exercise:
It spread through France, ______wild rabbits are not generally regarded as a pest but as a sport and a useful food supply, and it spread to Britain ______wild rabbits are regarded as a pest but ______domesticated rabbits, equally susceptible to the disease, are the basis of a profitable fur industry．(11.15-18)
Special difficulties 难点
A Study the following pairs of words and then write sentences of your own to bring out the difference.
1 discovered (1.4) ---- invented
Captain Cook discovered Antarctica when he was exploring the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Do you have any idea who invented the safety pin?
2 disease (1.5) ---- decease
Poverty and disease usually go together.
A national crisis was caused by the sudden decease of the President.
3 basis (1.18) ---- base
What's your basis for making such a decision?
The base of the memorial is engraved with the names of those who died．
4 apparent (1.10) ---- obvious
It soon became apparent that our opponents were too strong for us.
It was obvious to the parents that Tom was lying.
5 acquired (1.13) ---- obtained
He has acquired a fearsome reputation.
Further information can be obtained from the information centre.
6 degree (1.10) ---- rank
To a certain degree, I accept the truth of what you say, even if I disagree with your conclusions．(degree = extent) The campaign to protect the countryside involves people from all degrees of society, not just the landowning classes．(degree = social class)
What rank was your father when he was in the army? (rank = an official position on a scale)
B Note the use of early in this phrase: in the early days (1.1)．Write sentences using the following phrases:in the early hours; in the early years; at an early age.
C Write sentences to illustrate the use of the following verbs: overrun (l.3); overtake; overdo; overlook.
D Compare the use of spread in these two sentences:
1 It (the mosquito) effectively spread the disease all over the continent．(1.9)
2 It (the disease) spread through France．(11.15-16)
Write two sentences to illustrate these uses of spread．
E Note the spelling of this word: manageable (1.12)．Add -able to the following words, retaining or dropping the e where necessary: move; love; peace; knowledge; change; service; believe.
F Note the use of own in this phrase: on his own estate (1.14)．Write sentences using the following phrases:my own; on my own; of my own.
Multiple choice questions 多项选择题
Choose the correct answers to the following questions.
Comprehension 理解
1 One of the reasons rabbits multiplied so rapidly in Australia is that they ______.
a．were unwisely introduced by enterprising settlers
b．breed rapidly
c．overran the continent
d．overcame their natural enemies in the Antipodes
2 Scientists found ______ of spreading myxomatosis.
a．one way
b．two ways
c．three ways
d．a large number of ways
3 The disease was spread right across the continent of Australia largely because ______.
a．of the mosquito
b．of the rabbit
c．scientists let infected animals loose in burrows
d．Australia encouraged diseased rabbits to migrate to other places
4 Myxomatosis, that was a blessing in Australia, proved to be ______in Europe.
a．domesticated
b．a disease
c．profitable
d．a curse
Structure 句型
5 This rabbit had no natural enemies in the Antipodes ______．(1.2)
a．and as a result it multiplied
b．in order to multiply
c．so that it might multiply
d．because it multiplied
6 It______ and caused devastation．(1.3)
a．burrowing
b．burrowed
c．was burrowing
d．has burrowed
7 ______ were local epidemics created? By infecting animals．(1.6)
a．Why
b．How
c．Where
d．When
8 It was ______ to create local epidemics of this disease．(11.6-7)
a．potent
b．able
c．enabled
d．possible
Vocabulary 词汇
9 It caused devastation by ______ the herbage．(11.3-4)
a．burrowing into
b．infecting
c．consuming
d．digging
10 By infecting animals and ______them loose in burrows ..．(1.6)
a．allowing
b．leaving
c．introducing
d．turning
11 The rabbits were able to ______this disease to a certain extent．(1.10)
a．react to
b．prevent
c．withstand
d．oppose
12 Australia ______the rabbit as a pest from Europe．(1.13)
a．inherited
b．obtained
c．assumed
d．claimed