Final answer:
The quotation that best encapsulates the theme that even the smartest individuals sometimes need help is Allegra acknowledging her success due to a little girl's assistance. The correct option is A.
Step-by-step explanation:
Concerning the theme that even the smartest people need help sometimes, the quotation that most strongly suggests this is: a) Allegra's perfect record was still intact—thanks to some assistance from a little girl. This passage explicitly indicates that Allegra, despite her apparent intelligence and flawless track record, required support to maintain her success.
It underscores the idea that no matter one's intellect or capabilities, assistance from others can be crucial to achieving goals or solving problems. This aligns with the broader understanding in literature that character development and theme are often interwoven, with the former serving to reinforce or elucidate the latter.