My age has always been an issue, not for me, but for everyone else. I was nine at the time. On my first day of high school, my grandparents, and the press (新闻媒体) kept going along. I made them walk four paces behind me, since I didn’t want to stand out.

The next morning I was ashamed to learn that the Associated Press picked up a photo of me struggling to reach the top of my locker. The words on the photo read: “High school may not be a big stretch for nine-year-old Millicent, but her locker sure is.”

Finally things calmed down. I had a difficult start, though. It’s embarrassing enough being a foot shorter and five years younger than your classmates. Yet having your grandmother cemented to you makes it even worse.

My grandmother, Maddie, and I made an odd “couple” on campus, but at least it meant I had somebody to talk to while the other kids make it a point to ignore me. There, she was expected to hand me over directly to Gaspar, my French instructor. We were well into the first week and waiting outside Gaspar’s class when someone, I never figured out who, made a rude remark using the words “boring”, “brainiac” (脑魔) and “Millicent” in the same run-on sentence.

Believing I was being laughed at, my grandmother warned my classmates that she knew Kungfu and was not afraid to use it. To show how serious she was, Maddie did a series of moves. When she was done and the cheers gradually stopped, Maddie was still in her leg-split (劈叉) position.

“Get up,” I whispered, “Everyone’s staring.”

“No,” she replied, “I appear to be stuck.”

By then Gaspar had arrived. He asked several bigger boys to carry my grandmother to the school clinic as she waved goodbye to first-period French.

【小题1】Why did Millicent feel ashamed of the picture on the newspaper?

A．She was too young to reach the locker.

B．She felt herself attacked by the reporters.

C．She was closely followed by family members.

D．She didn’t want others to notice her difference.

【小题2】When her grandmother was “cemented to” her, she ________.

A．had a hard attitude	B．stayed very close
C．moved very slowly	D．had a solid character

【小题3】Middie became upset with some students because they ________.

A．were staring at Millicent	B．did not know who Millicent was
C．were making comments about Millicent	D．did not help Millicent open her locker

【小题4】Which words best describe Millicent’s grandmother?

A．Energetic and protective.	B．Patient and thoughtful.
C．Gentle and understanding.	D．Hardworking and ambitious.