阅读下面短文，从短文后所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出能填入相应空白处的最佳选项。

    One cold evening in winter, I asked my dear mother, “Mum, what were you like when you were at my age?” She looked up, 1at my question.

    After a long time, she answered, “Polly, why did you ask me that? Well, you see, I was not so lucky as you. In our times, there was only one 2for girls－being a hard-working woman. To tell you the truth, I 3 my mother, your grandmother, when I was growing up. I did so much for her, but not once did she ever said, 'thank you'.”

    And then, Mother went on, “I had always wanted to hear a word of 4 from her, but I got only the family rules and wishes I could never manage. During those years, she 5 me to get up at six every morning and cook breakfast. She often 6 me with other girls, who were as 7 as me, and found my mistakes.”

     “Nothing was ever 8 enough for my mother,” continued my mother, “but now I know she did 9 me, even if she never said so. Polly, like your grandmother, I love all my children, and you are everything to me. I have been very strict and hard on you, but I am raising you in the only 10 I knew.”

    Fresh off his MasterChef Junior run, Evan Robinson, who is only 12 years old, is using his kitchen skills to raise money for Puerto Rico. The TV show contestant wanted to offer help after hurricanes(飓风) hit the country last September.

    “I've been seeing, all over the news, people struggling,” Evan said. “They can't get fresh water, electricity; they can't get really anything. I know I'm just a kid, but I think if a lot of people do something, a lot of things will get better.”

    He raises money by baking and taking online orders for homemade empanadas(馅 饼). He started cooking on a recent Friday night. By the next Sunday evening, he had filled orders for 420 empanadas — — roasted chicken, cheeseburger and vegetarian — — getting $18 for six empanadas and $30 for a dozen.

    His mom, Veronica Robinson, helped him send the empanadas around the city. “We've never done anything like this before,” she said. “But it's a great idea, so I want to help him make it work.”

    For Evan's out-of-town friends and supporters, he has set up a crowdfunding(众筹) page. Through it, he's hoping to raise $1, 500 in “virtual (虚 拟 的) empanadas”. This is because he heard on the news that it could take Puerto Rico years, maybe  even 10 years, to recover(复 原) from the hurricanes. And he said, “Fruit pies are up next. And my baking will continue as well.”

    It's a difficult job, especially for a kid with homework and Boy Scouts and friendships to tend to. But he doesn't seem worried.

    “It's what we're supposed to do.” he said. “I'm a human. They're humans. Why shouldn't I help them?”

    Indeed.

You may have known about many traditional Chinese festivals such as the Spring Festival or the Lantern Festival, but have you ever heard of Dragon Heads-raising Day? 

Dragon Heads-raising Day is also called the Spring Dragon Festival. It is on the second day of the second lunar (农历) month. It's on February 21st this year. It came from an old story. After that day, the Dragon King will wake up from his winter sleep and bring more rain. So that day is the start of spring and farming season. 

One of the most interesting things related to the day is about haircut. People believe that a haircut during the first lunar month is not a good idea. It may bring bad things to your uncles. So people can only cut it on or after Dragon Heads-raising Day. Although it's not true, many people still do it. 

There are also other ways to celebrate this festival. For example, people eat food with dragon names. People call noodles dragon's beard (胡须). Dumplings are dragon's ears and spring rolls (春卷) are dragon's scales (鳞). 

People also do dragon dances and make dragon lanterns. The lanterns stand for people's best wishes and good luck.

难度系数：★★★

For better research and protection, elephants in the reserve (保护区) should wear GPS collars (项圈). Last June, it was Rommel's turn to wear a collar. He was a huge and bad-tempered elephant, weighing about six tons. One morning, searching around the reserve, we found Rommel playing by the river. A tranquillizer (镇静剂) was carefully shot into his bottom so that we could safely place a collar on him. Normally it takes seven minutes for the drug to act, but for Rommel's size it could take longer. 

He was crossing the river when the drug did work. Slowly, he fell down into the water. This could lead to a disaster- Rommel's death, because his trunk would be submerged (淹没) in the river.     ★     . Only by doing this could we ensure his survival. The problem was that the river was deep and filled with crocodiles (鳄鱼). 

In a flash, I decided to act. I jumped in and lifted his heavy trunk above the water. The water level reached my neck. 

I stayed there for at least 10 minutes as the team tried to fit him with the collar. It was rather hard to keep my cool as my arms became exhausted. Small fish swam past my legs. Each time, fear hit: was it a crocodile? There was also another risk that other elephants might come and cause trouble. 

As soon as his ears started to flap—a sign of consciousness (意识) returning—I dropped his trunk and moved to safety. Then he completely awoke and crossed the river. What a wonderful moment, for both him and me! 

Hello, everyone! I'm Kevin. I'd like to tell you something about my dream home. My dream home is near the beautiful beach(沙滩). It is not big, but it is a nice and quiet place. 

My dream house has two floors. It is not high. But for our family, it is enough. At the back of our house, there is a garden. We can grow flowers that we like. On the first floor is the living room. We receive guests(客人) there. In my spar time, my young brother and I can play together there. Our bedrooms are on the second floor. One is for my parents and the other is for my brother and me. 

There is a bed in my bedroom. It's like a ship,and it's very soft. There is a desk with a computer on it. I can surf the Internet or play computer games. I can often do my homework on the desk. My favorite place is the balcony. I can walk out to look at the beach and look up at the sky. 

This is my dream home. What about yours?

My best friend Jenny and I got to the mall for shopping. She held up a white sweater and nice skirt. "Do you like them?" she asked. 

"They're great, " I said. Jenny smiled and keep looking while I moved about, touching the beautiful clothes. "I'll try them on, " Jenny walked towards the dressing room. After a while, she came out in the outfit (一套衣服). She looked beautiful. 

Part of me wanted to say how good she looked, but another part stopped the words coming out. Jenny was in such good shape( 外 形 )that she'd look good in the outfit. Sometimes, I regretted(后悔)choosing a best friend who was so pretty. God, why can't I be the one with the rich parents and the great look? More and more, I was envious (妒忌的) of her. 

"Well, Tina, what do you think?" Jenny asked more than once. "Do you like it?"

The outfit looked great on her, but I lied, "Not really. I think you need something with more colors. "

"You think so?" Jenny said doubtfully. 

"Just believe me. We'll find something better, " I told her, pushing her back into the dressing room. "You just can't buy the first thing you see. " I did my best to get Jenny out of the store, away from that outfit. As we left, Jenny gave the outfit one last look. 

Just down the mall, we passed an ice-cream place. "My treat, " Jenny said, pulling out her wallet(钱包). 

I could never say no to ice-cream, so we got some and sat down at a table. As Jenny talked without stopping about a million things, I thought about my feelings toward her. Those feelings weren't kind. 

Sitting there, I began to see Jenny in a new light! Jenny was attractive (吸引人的) not just because of her good luck, but more because of her kindness. Treating me to ice-cream was far from her only show of generosity(大方). She also let me drive her car and borrow her clothes. 

Finishing our ice-cream, we headed for the next clothing store. "Look at that red sweater, " Jenny said when we passed the window. "It would be nice for you. Soon maybe you'll have enough by saving your pocket money to buy something like that. "

A few minutes earlier, all I had heard was about saving my pocket money. I had hated the fact that Jenny could ask her parents for anything, and they'd buy it for her. This time, however, I heard more. I heard the voice of someone who loved for who I was. So I needed to express( 表达)the same to her.