A
Most people know that in the past, Chinese women had no right to receive formal education. But this doesn’t mean they made on efforts to learn. One piece of evidence is Nüshu --- a written language used especially by women.
A Nüshu museum opened on Puwei Island, Jiangyang county, Hunan province in May 2007. This beautiful island was home to many famous Nüshu authors. This year, according to Xinhua, many tourists visited the museum to appreciate the unique culture of Nüshu.
Centuries ago, Nüshu was taught to girls by elderly women in their homes. During village gatherings, women would use the characters to write poems. This way, they expressed the emotions they usually kept hidden from men.
Worried that this ancient culture will soon disappear, Zhao Liming, a professor at Tsinghua University, started a project in 2017 with the hope of keeping Nüshu alive. One of the project’s biggest achievements is an app designed to teach Nüshu to more people.
Many old poems written in Nüshu were created by women who wanted to express the difficulties they faced, and how they make it through those hardships. “The words were full of encouragement and positive energy, and showed an uncommon open-mindedness among women at the time,’ Zhao said.
Ji Xianlin, the late linguist (语言学家), once wrote that Nüshu is a feminist (男女平等主义者) symbol, since “it was created by talented women who were deprived(剥夺) of the right to education.” This might be why this ancient culture still has significance in modern times.
“After public education was established and women got the right to attend school, Nüshu lost its functionality (功能),” Zhao said. “However, feminist ideas are getting more popular today.”
21. According to the article, what can be learned about Nüshu?
A. It recorded how ancient women took care of their family.
B. It was the textbook ancient women learned at school.
C. It was a written language used only by women.
D. It was written by men for women.
22. In Zhao Liming’s opinion, Nüshu shows that women are _____.
A. determined and open-minded
B. kindhearted and hardworking
C. independent and realistic
D. peaceful and thoughtful
23. What does Ji Xianlin think of Nüshu?
A. It has lost its functionality today.
B. It shows women’s fight for equal rights.
C. It should become part of the school course.
D. It has helped to record many important historical events.
