8．I was afraid that others would look_down_upon_me but my mother encouraged_me_to_work in the countryside.

　　我怕别人瞧不起我，可是我妈妈却鼓励我去乡下工作。

　　二、勤练高考题型，多练自能生巧

　　Ⅰ.阅读理解

　　Maricel Apatan, 22, stands in the kitchen of the Edsa Shangri­La Hotel in Manila, preparing to decorate a cheese cake. It would seem to be a routine task for a cake chef, but Maricel is no ordinary chef - she has no hands.

　　Maricel has come a long way since the day in September 2000 when she and her uncle were attacked near their farm. Fortunately, both of them survived, but the 11­year­old girl lost her hands. In 2004, she entered a Manila training centre for people with disabilities. She learned how to write and do housework and, more importantly, came to terms with her disability.

　　After graduating from high school, she took a two­year Hotel and Restaurant Management course and flourished even though she was the only disabled student in the course. After she moved back to Manila to continue her studies, the media started reporting on this determined young woman. She didn't shy away from the attention. "I wanted others living with disabilities to believe it's possible to live a normal life，" Maricel says.

　　When managers at the Edsa Shangri­La Hotel saw Maricel on television, they hired her as part of the hotel's Care for People project. She has also accomplished her goal of inspiring others. One of them is Ronelyn Calumpiano, a 21­year­old with cerebral palsy (脑瘫). She saw Maricel on television and was moved by her confidence. Ronelyn will soon start classes and is already planning a career in IT.

　　Maricel's three younger sisters have moved to Manila. She pays for the rent of their small apartment, while their parents look after their family farm in Mindanao. "It is difficult to make ends meet, but I won't lose hope. I believe anything is possible if you dream, work hard and pray."

　　语篇解读：本文为一篇关于人物介绍的记叙文。22岁的玛丽切尔是一位失去了双手的残疾人，但是她没有放弃希望，努力自立自强。受到她的鼓舞，另一位残疾女孩也立志要在IT行业寻找自己的发展空间。

　　1．"Maricel is no ordinary chef" because ________.

　　A．she is better than other chefs

　　B．she is physically disabled

　　C．she can do a routine task

D．she is good at decorating cakes