Directions: Reading Comprehension - read the following passage to answer the question below.
An avid actor in high school musicals, Gaga portrayed lead roles as Adelaide in Guys and Dolls and
Philia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. She described her academic life in high school
as "very dedicated, very studious, very disciplined" but also "a bit insecure" as she told in an
interview, "I used to get made fun of for being either too provocative or too eccentric, so I started to
tone it down. I didn't fit in, and I felt like a freak." Acquaintances dispute that she did not fit in
at school. "She had a core group of friends; she was a good student. She liked boys a lot, but singing
was No. 1," recalled a former high school classmate. Referring to her "expressive, free spirit", Gaga
told Elle magazine "I'm left-handed!"
At age 17, Gaga gained early admission to the New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and lived
in a NYU dorm on 11th Street. There she studied music and improved her songwriting skills by composing
essays and analytical papers focusing on topics such as art, religion, social issues and politics. Gaga
wrote an 80-page thesis on pop artists Spencer Tunick and Damien Hirst; research that prepared her for
her future career focus in "music, art, sex and celebrity". Gaga felt that she was more creative than
some of her classmates. "Once you learn how to think about art, you can teach yourself," she said. By
the second semester of her sophomore year, she withdrew from the school to focus on her musical
career.
Inspired by glam rock artists like David Bowie, Elton John and Queen, as well as pop singers such as
Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Amy Winehouse, Gaga is well-recognized for her outre sense of style in
fashion, in performance and in her music videos. Her contributions to the music industry have garnered
her numerous achievements including five Grammy Awards, among twelve nominations; two Guinness World
Records; and the estimated sale of fifteen million albums and fifty-one million singles worldwide.
Billboard named her both the Artist of the Year in 2010 and the top selling artist of 2010; ranking her
as the 73rd Artist of the 2000s decade. Gaga has been included in Time magazine's annual Time 100 list
of the most influential people in the world as well as Forbes' list of the 100 Most Powerful and
Influential celebrities in the world. Forbes also placed her at number seven on their annual list of the
World's 100 Most Powerful Women. Adapted from: "Lady Gaga". Wikipedia. 04/26/2011
Select the statement that best describes Lady Gaga's high school experience.
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