2010连云港中考英语卷上的一道完形填空我有疑问

2010连云港中考英语卷上的一道完形填空我有疑问
Although it was autumn,the snow was already beginning to fall in Tibet (西藏).Our legs were so heavy and cold that 16 felt like big pieces of ice.Have you 17 seen snowmen ride bicylces?That’s what we looked like!Along the way children who were 18 long wool coats stopped to look at us.In the late 19
we found it was so cold that our water bottles froze (结冰).However,the lakes 20 like glass in the setting sun and loooked wonderful.
Wang Wei rode in front of me as usual.She was in high spirt and I knew I didn’t need to 21 her.To climb the mountains was hard work but as we 22 us,we were surprised by the view.We seemed to be able to see for miles,and we were so high that we found ourselves cycling through clouds.After a while,we began going 23 the mountains.It was great fun especially as it slowly became much 24 .At the foot of the mountains,colourful butterflies flew around us and we saw many sheep eating green grass.Then we had to 25
Our caps,gloves and trousers for T-shirts and shorts.
In the early evening we stopped to 26 .We put up our tent and then we ate.Afte supper Wang Wei went to sleep but I stayed 27 .At midnight the sky became clearer and the stars grew brighter.As I 29 below the stars I thought about how far we had already travelled.
We will reach Dali in Yunan Province soon,where our cousins will join us.We 30 hardly wait to see them!
16.A.we B.you C.they D.it
17.A.neverx05x05x05B.everx05x05x05x05C.evenx05x05x05 D.yet
18.A.dressed inx05x05B.put on x05x05x05x05C.taken offx05x05x05D.dressed up
19.A.morningx05x05x05B.afternoon x05x05x05C.eveningx05x05x05D.night
20.A.shinex05x05x05B.shiningx05x05x05x05C.shinesx05x05x05x05D.shone
21.A.followx05x05x05B.encouragex05x05x05C.remindx05x05x05x05D.discover
22.A.looked atx05x05B.looked afterx05x05x05C.looked forx05x05x05D.looked around
23.A.upx05x05x05x05B.downx05x05x05x05C.aroundx05x05x05x05D.into
24.A.colderx05x05x05B.drierx05x05x05x05C.warmerx05x05x05x05D.wetter
25.A.chargex05x05x05B.checkx05x05x05x05C.chasex05x05x05x05D.change
26.A.make bedsx05x05B.make friendsx05x05C.make campx05x05x05D.make money
27.A.alivex05x05x05B.alonex05x05x05x05C.awayx05x05x05x05D.awake
28.A.cloudy x05x05x05B.foggyx05x05x05x05C.noisyx05x05x05x05D.quiet
29.A.liex05x05x05x05B.liedx05x05x05x05C.layx05x05x05x05D.laid
30.A.mayx05x05x05B.can x05x05x05x05C.mustx05x05x05x05D.shall
就是题干中第21个空,为什么选B,也就是为什么填encourage?encourage不是鼓励的意思吗?怎么可以用到这里?顺便请介绍一下该单词用在句中的意思和用法