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.

act as  ^{作为、当...来用、有这个功能、效果}

• The old barn now serves as a community center. ^{充当社区中心}
• He acted as if he had never lived in England before.  ^{acted as if 表现得...、假装...}
• Alfred the Great acted as his own spy, visiting Danish camps disguised as a minstrel.
• During the negotiation, the ambassador act as a neutral mediator. ^{在谈判期间，大使充当了中立调解人的角色。}

carrier ^{[化学] 载体；运送者；带菌者}

• Mosquitoes can carry diseases like malaria.
• This substance can act as a carrier for the medication.
• His father accused him of acting as a carrier for some drug pushers. ^{他父亲指责他为某些毒贩子充当毒品运送人。}

pass sth. on to sb.  ^{把...转交给...；（派生）传染 / 传播疾病}

• I’ll pass your complaints on to my superiors. 
• He passed his cold on to me.
• Some animals can transmit a disease to humans. ^{将疾病传播给人类}
• Please pass this message on to your manager. ^{请把这条消息转交给你的经理。}

So while the rest of the world was trying to get rid of mosquitoes, Australia was encouraging this one.

get rid of ... = dispose of ... ^{打发走；除掉（干掉、清除掉、完全杀光...）}

• It took me over half an hour to get rid of him.
• There is no quicker method of disposing of patients than by giving them what they are asking for, ... ^打发走...
• I used weedkiller to get rid of the weeds in the garden.

encourage ^{v.促进，助长}

• Poor hygiene encourages the spread of disease. ^{促进疾病的传播}
• The warm weather encourages plant growth. ^{促进植物生长}

It effectively spread the disease all over the continent and drastically reduced the rabbit population.

all over ^遍布了...

• The good news spread throughout the country.
• Traditional custom, taken the world over, is a mass of detailed behaviour more astonishing than what any one person can ever evolve in individual actions, no matter how aberrant.
• We traveled all over the country during our summer vacation. ^{我们在暑假期间跑遍了全国各地。}

drastic ^{(adj.) extreme and sudden 极端的；急剧的；严厉的；猛烈的}

• We need to take drastic measures to solve the problem.
• There were drastic cuts in government spending.

It later became apparent that rabbits were developing a degree of resistance to this disease, so that the rabbit population was unlikely to be completely exterminated.

became apparent  ... ^{明显看出(文言)...}

• It soon became clear / obvious / apparent / evident that she did not have a genuine interest in her job.
• It quickly became evident that the initial plan was flawed.

it is / was clear / obvious / apparent / evident that ... ^显然...

develop a degree of resistance to ... ^{对...产生一定程度的抗药性/抵抗力}

• Bacteria have developed a resistance to many antibiotics. ^{对许多抗生素产生了抗药性}

The medicine effectively restrained the growth of the tumor, which, in the course of time, however, developed a degree of resistance to it. ^{该药有效地抑制了肿瘤的生长，但是，经过一段时间，肿瘤对该药产生了一定程度的抗药性。}

There were hopes, however, that the problem of the rabbit would become manageable.

there be + 无灵主语 ^地道句式

• Of course, New York is the ideal place for such an interesting study, because there is no shortage of tall buildings.
• This greatly reduced the speed of the ship, for there was a danger that if she travelled too quickly, this rudder would be torn away as well.
• Perhaps there is an element of truth in both these pictures, but few of us have had the opportunity to find out.
• Apparently, there is a good deal of truth in this idea. ^{显然，这个想法很有道理。}
• There is no denying that he is talented. ^{不可否认的是他很有天赋.}
• There is no question that the earth is round. ^{毫无疑问地球是圆的.}
• There is every likelihood that he will win. ^{他很有可能会赢...}

There is probably an element of truth in this argument, but they ignore a more basic fact that the freedom of the press is often abused. ^考研真题
Albert Einstein once attributed the creativity in a famous scientist to the fact that he never went to school. There is undoubtedly a truth in his observation, but such a truth is not criticism of schools.

manageable ^{adj. easy to control or deal with 易管理的；易控制的；易办的}

• My hair is more manageable since I had it cut.
• The workload is now manageable with the new staff.