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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
解析：选B 细节理解题。由第一段最后一句话可知，玛丽切尔并非普通人，她是一个残疾人。
2．Which of the following is NOT true about Maricel?
A．She survived while her uncle did not.
B．She didn't shy away from public attention.
C．She has inspired some disabled people.
D．She managed to make a living by herself.
解析：选A 细节理解题。由第二段第二句话“Fortunately, both of them survived, but the 11yearold girl lost her hands.”可知他们二人都幸存了下来，所以A项说法有误。
3．The underlined word “flourished” in Paragraph 3 is similar to “________”．
A．was rejected B．was employed
C．recovered well D．developed well
解析：选D 词义猜测题。由画线词所在句中的“even though”可知前后语意为转折关系，由此可知“尽管她是班里唯一的一名残疾学生，但是她发展得不错”。
4．What does the author want to tell us in the text?
A．We should be determined and never lose hope.
B．We shouldn't look down upon the disabled.
C．We should help those who suffer from disabilities.
D．We should feel sympathetic for the unfortunate.
解析：选A 推理判断题。由文章大意可知，我们应当向Maricel学习，学习她坚强的毅力和不放弃的精神。
