Most 11-year-olds are just happy to have finished their first year of middle school． However , Tom is not like most kids． He did not go to elementary(小学) , middle or high school but went straight to college at the young age of eight．
While Tom's parents knew he was smart , they had never imagined putting him in college this young． However，when they tried to send him to a private(私立的) school at the age of six , he was turned down． because he was so smart that the school was afraid he would feel dull．
It turns out the school was right． After homeschooling the young boy for two years , the parents realized that he was ready for some real high-level courses． They came to East Los Angeles
College , who agreed to take him in． However，until he proved himself , he could take only two courses—math and music．
Tom did not disappoint． He got A's in both and hasn't looked back since． Last week． He graduated as a top student． In fact , the young boy was so smart that he helped his fellow math students , some of whom were 10 years older than him．
While the world may cheer him as a genius(天才) , his parents think he is just a normal boy who plays football and watches movies for children．
The phrase“turned down”in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to ___．
A.accepted
B.respected
C.refused
D.examined