Question

maintained the highest grades for eight years.
the scholarship jacket had a big gold s on the left front side and your name written in gold letters on the pocket.
my oldest sister, rosie, had won the jacket a few years back and i fully expected to also. i was fourteen and in the eighth grade. i had been a straight - a student since the first grade and this last year had looked forward very much to owning that jacket. my father was a farm laborer who couldnt earn enough money to feed eight children, so when i was six i was given to my grandparents to raise. we couldnt afford sports at school because there were registration fees, uniform costs, and trips out of town; so, even though our family was quite agile and athletic there would never be a school sports jacket for us. this one, the scholarship jacket, was our only chance.
in may, close to graduation, spring fever had struck as usual with a vengeance. no one paid any attention in class; instead we stared out the windows and at each other, wanting to speed up the last few weeks of school. i despaired every time i looked in the mirror. pencil - thin, not a curve anywhere. i was called \beanpole\ and \string bean,\ and i knew thats what i looked like. that really wasnt much for a fourteen - year - old to work with, i thought, as i absent - mindedly wandered from my history class to the gym. another hour of sweating in basketball and displaying my toothpick legs was coming up. then i remembered my p.e. shorts were still in a bag under my desk where id forgotten them. i had to walk all the way back and get them. coach thompson was a real bear if someone wasnt dressed for p.e. she had said i was a good forward and even tried to talk grandma into letting me join the team once. of course grandma said no.
i was almost back at my classroom door when i heard voices raised in anger as if in some sort of argument. i stopped. i didnt mean to eavesdrop, i just hesitated, not knowing what to do. i needed those shorts and i was going to be late, but i didnt want to interrupt an argument between my teachers. i recognized the voices: mr. schmidt, my history teacher, and mr. boone, my math teacher. they seemed to be arguing about me. i couldnt believe it. i still remember the feeling of shock that rooted me flat against the wall as if i were trying to blend in with the graffiti written there.

1. in paragraphs 8 - 10, why is it significant that the principal cannot look marta in the eyes?

a. it reveals that he feels guilty because he knows what he is doing is wrong.
b. it reveals that he does not care about what the scholarship jacket means to marta.
c. it reveals that he is actually distracted by more important things than who gets the jacket.
d. it reveals that he is unaware of martas feelings and does not believe he is doing anything wrong.
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Explanation:

In the context, the principal's inability to look Marta in the eyes suggests he has a guilty conscience about a decision or action he's taking regarding the scholarship jacket, which he likely knows is wrong.

Answer:

A. It reveals that he feels guilty because he knows what he is doing is wrong.