阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从每题所给的A、B、C、D 四个选项中选出最佳选项。

    I was the tallest girl in my class when I started school. It made me feel 1and I believed that I looked very fat and ugly. The small girls were seen as smarter, so they were more popular and got more 2from teachers. I began to hate myself 3 not being small when I was seven years old, and by adulthood, I felt sad about my appearance.

    I didn't dare to look into the mirror 4one day my friend pulled me to the mirror to let me see that I had a good figure. It's true that I was in good shape. Then I did something kind for 5—I bought a beautiful dress for myself. I felt very happy! Happiness wasn't a part of my life as I was too busy 6 others. I always thought following others could make me more popular. But it's hard to be happy when you don't see your own 7.

    Each small kindness to me made me 8 myself more. I'd do something loving and feel happier, which made me want to do 9. That focus on myself 10 deep self-love.

    Today my self-love is very 11.It has helped me develop self-confidence and led me to 12 myself from an unhappy school teacher to a popular writer. Now I see myself 13 a very beautiful woman. I have a wonderful body without 14.

    Please join me in taking steps to develop self-love. Every little loving act you do for yourself helps you build 15.

    My name is Dennis. I'm a worker(工人) of a big store. I don't work in the morning. I work at night. Every morning I come home at about 6:30. I have breakfast at 7:00. After breakfast I go to bed. I get up at around 2:30. I have lunch at 2:45 and dinner at 7:40. Then I go to work at 8:30. My work starts at 9:00. I look after(照看) the store every night. I like my work very much.

    This is Cara and Ben. They are twins(双胞胎). They are twelve. This is their bedroom. It's a nice room. There are two beds in the room. The yellow bed is Cara's and that green one is Ben's. The twins have one desk and two chairs. The chairs look the same. Cara's sweater is on his bed. Ben's coat is on his chair. Their clock, books and pencil-cases are on the desk. Their school bags are behind the chairs.

    An elephant and a crocodile were once standing beside river. They were disputing which was the better animal。

    "Look at my strength," said the elephant. "I can pull up a tree, roots and all, with my trunk"

    "Ah! But your skin is not nearly so thick as mine," replied the crocodile." No knife or tooth can cut through it."

    Just as they were coming to blows, a lion happened to pass.

    "My dear friends!" said the King of all animals, going up to them. "Let me know the cause of your disagreement."

    "Will you kindly tell us which is the better animal?" cried both at once.

    Certainly, "said the lion, pointing across the river." Do you see the soldiers metal hat on that wall?"

    "Yes!" replied the beasts.

    "Well, then," continued the lion, "go and get it, and bring it to me, and I shall be able then to decide between you."

    Upon hearing this, off they started. The crocodile, being used to the water, reached the opposite side of the river first, and was soon standing beside the wall.

    Here he waited till the elephant came up. The elephant, seeing that the crocodile had no way of reaching their goal, raised his long trunk, and took down the hat quite easily.

    They then made their way together back again across the river. The elephant was trying to keep up with the fast-moving crocodile in the water and became careless. When he was forced to turn sharply to avoid a floating tree branch, the elephant dropped the hat and it fell to the river bottom. The crocodile noticed the accident, so down he dived, and brought it up in his huge mouth. They then returned, and the crocodile laid the metal hat at the lion's feet. The King took it up, and turning to the elephant, said:

    "You, because of your size and trunk, were able to reach the hat on the wall but, having lost it, you were unable to get it back. And you, said the lion to the crocodile, "although unable to reach the hat, were able to dive for it and save it. You are both wise and able in your own ways. One is no better than the other."

    Kian Hamer has become one of the youngest members of Mensa. Mensa is an international organization(组织) for IQ(智商). His IQ is 162 and it's two points higher than Albert Einstein's and Professor Stephen Hawking's. Mensa has 110,000 members all over the world, including 20 , 000 in the British Isles(不列颠群岛). Only eight percent of members are under 16.

    Mensa sent a letter to Kian's home. The letter wrote, "Kian is one of the cleverest people in the world. "Kian feels proud to have got such a good score and he's really excited to join Mensa. He always works hard on everything he does and he's always ready for自challenge. Although people call him a genius(天才), he still wants to be a professional footballer when he grows up. He loves playing football very much.

    His dad Rich Hamer, who works as a firefighter, said, "Kian is clever but I'm not allying him a genius like others. I want him to keep his feet on the ground. He needs to study hard forever. Never be proud. A lot of people have joked that he's too clever to be a footballer. I don't think Kian realized what a good score it was at first. He's always done really well at school. He works really hard and always tries his best."

    "My dear lady," says Holmes. "You're shivering. Are you cold? Do you want a cup of hot tea?"

    "I'm not cold," the woman replies. "I fear for my life!"

    "We are here to help you. Don't worry about anything. I don't know you. But I know many things about you. For example, I know how you travel. You came to London by train. You also rode to the train station on a horse­drawn wagon(马拉车). "

    "Why, yes. You're right. But how do you know these things？"

    "I see a return ticket in your glove. I see fresh mud on the left arm of your dress. Now tell us your problem. "

    "My name is Helen Stoner," she states. "My mother and father are dead. I am living with my stepfather, Dr Grimesby Roylott. He comes from a rich family. But they are no longer rich. They have nothing except a small piece of land and a huge old house. We are living in the house. Dr Roylott is using my mother's money for expenses(开支). Part of it was for my sister and me. It was for our marriages."

Holmes is sitting in his chair. His eyes are closed. He is listening carefully to Helen's story. He hears every detail.

    Helen continues. "My stepfather has no friends. He fights with everyone. He is strong and gets angry quickly. Everyone is afraid of him. "

    "He has no friends at all?" asks Holmes.

    "No. He talks to no one except the gypsies. They are poor people who travel from place to place. A band of gypsies is staying on our land right now."

    "Are you and your sister afraid of the gypsies?"

    "My dear Mr. Holmes. You are making me so sad. My sister is dead. That is why I am standing here in this room."