As a teenager in the 1990s, Melissa Blake was interested in fashion. Unfortunately, fashion wasn't much interested in her.
Blake, who has bone and muscle disease and is under four feet (1.21 metre) tall, couldn't find jeans or dresses in her size. At age 39, she became a disability-rights fighter and a writer whose work appeared in the New York Times, but she gained a national following in 2019 after clapping back those who made ugly comments about her online.
“People said that I should be banned from posting photos of myself because I'm too ugly. So I'd just like to remember the occasion with these three selfies(自拍)…" she tweeted. Over the next year, Blake posted a new selfie every day.
Her fans went wild, calling Blake a goddess and a powerful woman.
Among her fans is Mindy Scheier, the founder and CEO of Runway of Dreams (梦想T台)， which showcases fashion for the disabled. The show is part of the New York Fashion Week. Last fall, Scheier asked Blake to be one of the event's models.
Since the Runway of Dreams show was virtual, Blake's sister filmed her riding her scooter (滑板车)on a quiet street dressed in a T-shirt and an oversize vest.
“It was a little scary," Blake says of modeling. But she's glad she took the challenge. Often, when we think of access for people with disabilities, we think of buildings and employment, she says. But it’s also important to have access to what's fun and enjoyable.
“Fashion isn't going to solve all the world's problems, says Blake. " When disabled people are included, it sends a message that we deserve a seat at the table in all aspects of life.”
【小题1】What does the underlined words "clapping back" in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．fighting back | B．calling back |
| C．taking back | D．keeping back |
| A．Hardworking and patient. | B．Responsible and inspiring. |
| C．Easygoing and open-minded. | D．Determined and romantic. |
| A．Everyone should love fashion. |
| B．Being a model is necessary for the disabled. |
| C．We should reserve a seat for the disabled in the buildings. |
| D．Though broken in body, the disabled can be firm in spirit. |
