It was a simple letter asking for a place to study at Scotland's oldest university which helped start a revolution in higher education. A 140-year-old letter written by a lady calling for her to be allowed to study medicine at St Andrews University has been discovered by researchers. Written by Sophia Jex-Blake in 1873, the seven-page document, which urged the university to allow women to study medicine at the institution, was released yesterday on International Women's Day.

The document was discovered buried in the university archives  by part-time history student Lis Smith, who is completing her PhD at St Andrews Institute of Scottish Historical Research.  She said: "We knew that Sophia Jex-Blake and her supporters, in their effort to open up university medical education for women, had written to the Senates Academics  at St Andrews in an attempt to gain permission to attend classes there, but we didn't know documentary evidence existed. While searching the archives for information about the university's higher certificate for women, I was astonished to come across what must be the very letter Jex-Blake wrote. "In the letter, Sophia and her supporters offered to hire teachers or build suitable buildings for a medical school and to arrange for lectures to be delivered in the subjects not already covered at St Andrews. Although her letter was not successful, it eventually led to the establishment of the Ladies Literate in Arts at St Andrews, a distance-learning degree for women. The qualification, which ran from 1877 until the 1930s, gave women access to university education in the days before they were admitted as students. It was so popularthat it survived long after women were admitted as full students to St Andrews in 1892.

Ms. Jex-Blake went on to help establish the London School of Medicine  for  Women  in  1874. She  was accepted by the University of Berne, where she was awarded a medical degree in January 1877. Eventually, she moved back to Edinburgh and opened her own practice.

archives (档案)

1. Sophia wrote a letter to St Andrews University because she wanted _   .

A. to carry out a research project there

B. to set up a medical institute there

C. to study medicine there

D. to deliver lectures there

2. Lis Smith found Sophia's letter to St AndrewUniversity _  .

A. by pure chance

B. in the school office

C. with her supporters' help

D. while reading history books

.

3. Sophia's letter resulted in the establishment of

A. the London School of Medicine for Women

B. a degree programme for women

C. a system of medical education

D. the University of Berne

 4. When did St Andrews University begin to take fulltime women students?

A. In 1873.

B. In 1874.

C. In 1877.

D. hi 1892.

【篇章导读】

本文讲述了尘封了140年的写给大学的一封来信促使了妇女学位课程的创立。该信的发现纯属偶然，那是一位女士向圣安德鲁大学写的学医申请信。

1.C细节理解题。根据第一段第二句中“...to be allowed to study medicine at St Andrews University...”可知，她想学医，故C项正确。

2．A细节理解题。根据第二段第一句“The document was discovered buried in the university archives...”可知，此信的发现纯属偶然，故A项正确。

3．B细节理解题。根据第三段第二句中“...a distance-learning degree for women”，可知此信促使了妇女学位课程的创立，故B项正确。

4．D细节理解题。根据第三段最后一句中的“...St Andrews in 1892”可知，此事发生在1892年，故D项正确。