阅读理解ItwasasimpleletteraskingforaplacetostudyatScotland'soldestuniversitywhichhelpedstartarevolutioninhighereducation．A140-year-oldletterwrittenbyaladycallingfor

　　阅读理解

　　ItwasasimpleletteraskingforaplacetostudyatScotland'soldestuniversitywhichhelpedstartarevolutioninhighereducation．A140-year-oldletterwrittenbyaladycallingforhertobeallowedtostudymedicineatStAndrewsUniversityhasbeendiscoveredbyresearchers．WrittenbySophiaJex-Blakein1873theseven-pagedocumentwhichurgedtheuniversitytoallowwomentostudymedicineattheinstitutionwasreleasedyesterdayonInternationalWomen'sDay．

　　Thedocumentwasdiscoveredburiedintheuniversityarchives(档案)bypart-timehistorystudentLisSmithwhoiscompletingherPhDatStAndrewsInstituteofScottishHistoricalResearch．Shesaid：“WeknewthatSophiaJex-BlakeandhersupportersintheirefforttoopenupuniversitymedicaleducationforwomenhadwrittentotheSenatusAcademicus(校评议委员会)atStAndrewsinanattempttogainpermissiontoattendclassestherebutwedidn'tknowdocumentaryevidenceexisted．Whilesearchingthearchivesforinformationabouttheuniversity'shighercertificateforwomenIwasastonishedtocomeacrosswhatmustbetheveryletterJex-Blakewrote．”

　　IntheletterSophiaandhersupportersofferedtohireteachersorbuildsuitablebuildingsforamedicalschoolandtoarrangeforlecturestobedeliveredinthesubjectsnotalreadycoveredatStAndrews．AlthoughherletterwasnotsuccessfuliteventuallyledtotheestablishmentoftheLadiesLiterateinArtsatStAndrewsadistance-learningdegreeforwomen．Thequalificationwhichranfrom1877untilthe1930sgavewomenaccesstouniversityeducationinthedaysbeforetheywereadmittedasstudents．ItwassopopularthatitsurvivedlongafterwomenwereadmittedasfullstudentstoStAndrewsin1892．

　　MsJex-BlakewentontohelpestablishtheLondonSchoolofMedicineforWomenin1874．ShewasacceptedbytheUniversityofBernewhereshewasawardedamedicaldegreeinJanuary1877．EventuallyshemovedbacktoEdinburghandopenedherownpractice．

　　(1)