Nu Shu Reading Answers

Here are the Nu Shu Reading Answers for you to use and learn from.

1. III	5.  VIII	9.  True	13. True
2. VII	6. B (Any order)	10.  Not Given
3. V	7. D (Any order)	11. True
4. II	8.  False	12. Not Given

If you are taking the IELTS, the Nu Shu Reading Answers will be helpful .This is because it provides actual instances of exam-style questions, which are crucial for learning how to answer those questions correctly. The IELTS reading component is relatively hard.

The section on Nu Shu contains details about how men and women communicate in various languages.Complete the IELTS reading passage with three types of questions to answer. Check out the Nu Shu Reading Answers for all the specifics on how to deal with the questions.

• IELTS Reading Matching Headings
• IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Questions
• IELTS Reading True False Not Given

Also, check other IELTS reading question types for your further information.

Check out our YouTube Channel to Practice Full-Length IELTS Reading Tests Daily

 

Nu Shu Reading Passage

Read the provided passage and respond to all questions (1-13) within 20 minutes. After finishing, evaluate your responses from the above Nu Shu reading answers.

Nu Shu - A Secret Language

1. How men and women speak different languages is a common stereotype. This was the case for hundreds of years in Jiangyong county, Hunan Province, China. Women created their own secret alphabet and language called Nu Shu (literally, "women's language") between 400 and 1,000 years ago in protest of patriarchal traditions that banned them from reading or writing. Nu shu was able to flourish and spread without raising too many eyebrows because of the informal networks of sworn sisters' who pledged to teach the language only to other women and the creative methods in which it was used (such as writing characters on a beautiful fan).
   
   
2. As compared to the traditional Chinese script, Nu shu differs in a number of important orthographic ways. Nu shu characters are thin, slanted, and have a slightly scratchy' appearance, similar to calligraphy, while traditional Chinese characters have huge, bold strokes that look like they might have been fashioned with a thick permanent marker pen. In contrast to the logographic nature of conventional Chinese, where individual characters represent words and meanings, Nu shu is totally phonetic, with each character representing a single sound. It's possible that just a small fraction of the coded meanings that Nu shu users created for words and phrases will ever be understood. Several Nu shu mysteries have been buried with their keepers.
   
   
3. The goal of creating Nu shu was to give women a safe space in which to talk freely to one another. This need came in part from women's desire for isolation, and Nu shu provided that by providing a space for introverted female writers to express themselves in a culture traditionally dominated by men. Yet there was also a sensible reason for the spread of Nu shu: up until the mid-20th century, women were rarely encouraged to learn conventional Chinese writing. In its place, Nu shu offered a functional and simple replacement. Due to marriage, many women were isolated from their families and friends, therefore , used “letters. Nu shu characters, however, were painted or embroidered onto everyday goods like fans, pillowcases, and handkerchiefs and incorporated in 'artwork' to avoid alerting men's suspicions in the same way traditional letters did.
   
   
4. In the decades following the Chinese Revolution, when more women were driven towards learning the conventional Chinese script, the demand for the traditional female language gradually waned. In the 1960s, the Red Guard found the script and assumed it was an espionage code. They were suspicious and anxious after discovering it was a coded language spoken only by women. Women were prohibited from engaging in Nu shu rituals, and many letters, weavings, and embroideries were destroyed. This resulted in the breakdown of the cultural practices of passing languages down through generations of sworn sisters. Yang Huanyi, the last fluent speaker of Nu shu, passed away on September 20, 2004, while she was in her late 90s, hence the language is now completely extinct in its traditional form.
   
   
5. In recent years, nonetheless, there has been a boom of academic and public interest in Nu shu. Nu Shu Museum, housing treasures like audio recordings, manuscripts, and articles, some of which date back over a century, was funded by a US$209,000 grant from the Ford Foundation. Several schools in the area have started teaching the language to students owing to the investment from Hong Kong SAR, and infrastructure is being built at potential tourism locations in Hunan. It's worth noting that Lisa See's historical novel also features the practice of Nushu. In recent years, the novel Snow Flower and the Hidden Fan has had a film adaptation.

Nu Shu IELTS Reading Questions

Questions 1-5

Reading Passage has five sections, A-E.

From the list of headings below, choose the right one for each section.

Write the right numbers I-VIII in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

1. Section A
2. Section B
3. Section C
4. Section D
5. Section E

            I.  Financial costs
           II.  Decline and disuse
          III. Birth and development
          IV. Political uses of Nushu
          V. The social role of Nushu
         VI.  Last of the Nushu speakers
        VII.Characteristics of written Nushu
       VIII.Revival and contemporary interest

Click for more information about IELTS Reading Matching Headings

Questions 6 and 7

Pick TWO letters from A to E. Boxes 6 and 7 on your answer sheet are where you should write your answers.

Why was there a need for Nushu? Which TWO reasons does the text give?

1. Female craftspeople had new artistic opportunities.
2. It helped illiterate women read and write.
3. Few women were reading.
4. Women could secretly communicate.
5. It gave women confidence.

Click for more information about IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Questions

Questions 8-13

Are the following claims accurate with the passage's information? Write

TRUE                   if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE                   if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN        if there is no information on this

     8. Women were discouraged from learning to read or write after the Revolution.

     9. The Red Guard initially suspected that Nushu was a spying instrument.

    10.In other countries, women who use Nushu face the death penalty.

    11.  Traditional methods of teaching Nu Shu are now outdated.

    12. Money can be made out off people's fascination with Nushu

    13.The teaching of Nushu is now public.

Click for more information about IELTS Reading True False Not Given

Nu Shu reading answers with explanation

Below you'll find Nu Shu reading answers with location and a complete explanation for the above questions.

(Note: The phrase highlighted in bold refers to the passage's location and solution. The explanation sentences from the reading passage are shown on the lines in italics.)

1. III

Answer Location: Paragraph A, 2nd Line.
Explanation: The line depicts that, “ Women created their own secret alphabet and language called Nu Shu (literally, "women's language") between 400 and 1,000 years ago in protest of patriarchal traditions that banned them from reading or writing”. All of these refer to  birth and development.

2. VII

Answer Location: Paragraph B, 1st line. 
Explanation:  It states that,”As compared to the traditional Chinese script, Nu shu differs in a number of important orthographic ways.” Additionally, The section also explains that Nu shu is phonetic in nature, with each letter representing a different sound, and that the meaning of words must be derived from their surrounding context. It is also mentioned that many of Nu shu's secrets have been forgotten. Therefore, Characteristics of written Nu shu.

3. V

Answer Location: Paragraph C,1st line. 
Explanation: It states that, Nu shu was developed so that women could meet and form relationships in a safe space. Social interaction involves interacting with other people. Indeed, it was the social role of Nu shu.

4. II

Answer Location:  Paragraph D, 3rd Line.
Explanation:  According to the Line ,” In the 1960s, the Red Guard found the script and assumed it was an espionage code”. As it explains, there was a disruption in the flow of information between languages. In addition, the language was no longer transmitted between vowed sisters. Since Yang Huanyi, the last native speaker of the language, passed away on September 20, 2004, in her late 90s, there is no longer anyone alive who has learned Nu shu the traditional way. Therefore, Decline and disuse.

5. VIII

Answer Location: Paragraph E, 1st Line.
Explanation:  The line reveals that, "In recent years, nonetheless, there has been a boom of academic and public interest in Nu shu.” As a result, Revival and contemporary interest.

6. B

Answer Location: Paragraph C, 4th Line . 
Explanation: The sentence clearly illustrates that there was also a good reason for the spread of Nu shu as it was a way for educated women to read and write.

7. D

Answer Location: Paragraph G, 8th Line.
Explanation: The statement clearly states that, who got married and moved away from their families and friends could write to each other. It was a way for women to correspond without men knowing.

8. False

Answer Location: Paragraph D, 1st Line.
Explanation: The line says that, “In the decades following the Chinese Revolution, when more women were driven towards learning the conventional Chinese script, the demand for the traditional female language gradually waned.” Hence, the statement is incorrect.

9. True

Answer Location:Paragraph D, 5th line.
Explanation: The sentence depicts that,”the Red Guard found the script and assumed it was an espionage code. They were suspicious and anxious after discovering it was a coded language spoken only by women”. Hence, the statement is correct.

10. Not Given

Answer Location: Not available
Explanation: There is no information provided in the passage.

11. True

Answer Location: Paragraph D, 7th Line.
Explanation: The Line clearly explains that,”This resulted in the breakdown of the cultural practices of passing languages down through generations of sworn sisters.” Hence, the statement is correct.

12. Not Given

Answer Location: Not available
Explanation: There is no information provided in the passage.

13. True

Answer Location: Paragraph E, 4th Line. 
Explanation: The Line reveals that,”Several schools in the area have started teaching the language to students owing to the investment from Hong Kong SAR.” Hence, the statement is correct.

Check the other reading passages

Check the links to the other important reading passages listed below:

• Save the turtles reading answers
• The wild side of town reading answers
• Votes for women reading answers

Conclusion

Read this article, "Nu Shu reading answers," to improve your time-management and problem-solving abilities,  which will be very helpful when working on reading assignments. Also, will have the ability to practise responding to questions of various categories based on the same reading passage, which will help earn a higher band score.