IN the 1950s, 16 million Chinese women who hadn’t even been able to read their own names learned to read 2,000 Chinese characters and to write simple letters. By attending literacy class they learned enough to be able to read popular literature. They were no longer illiterate. IN the 1950s, 16 million Chinese women who had not even been able to read their own names learned to read 2000 Chinese characters and to write simple letters. By attending literacy class learned learned to be able to read popular literature. They were no longer illiterate