As young Chinese increasingly forget how to write characters because they don't have to, using keyboards and touch screen technology on mobile phones is changing the trend. 

For Yin Liang, a 26-year-old purchasing agent at a company, his embarrassment over forgetting how to write characters has gradually disappeared since he started to use the handwriting input method on his iPhone 4 a month ago. 

"When you write on the touch screen, you use your finger, instead of a mouse or keyboard," Yin says. 

"Actually, your finger is like a pen, writing the complicated characters that have long been spelled by pinyin, an alphabet-based input system. Whether typing on computers or texting on phones, most users in China type by phonetically spelling out the sounds of the characters and the software then gives a menu of characters that fit the pronunciation, so users only need to recognize the character. 

Handwriting technology on a mobile phone touch screen has been around for years and became popular with the iPhone, which recognizes the input and offers a wide selection of characters. 

"It's efficient and accurate," Yin says. 

Chinese characters are the oldest continuously used system of writing in the world, but as pinyin-based typing has become more widespread, youths have started forgetting how to write out characters. This was one of the main topics for debate at the first Cross-Straits Chinese Character Art Festival, held recently in Beijing, which attracted experts from Taiwan and the mainland. 

According to Zhang Zikang, president of the Culture and Art Publishing House, writing with a pen on the touch screen brings handwriting into the digital age. It is even better when you write with your finger, feeling the flow of the cursive script and the grace and art of Chinese characters, he says. 

"Smart gadgets don't take life from the square-shaped characters, instead they offer a new and advanced platform to show the charm of Chinese characters, which are always evolving," Zhang says. QUESTIONS:

Q1:
1. What can be used like a pen, according to the article?
2. What part of the human body is similar to the body, according to the story?
3. 
Q2:
1. Which group of people is forgetting how to draw letters?
2. The art of drawing letters is being forgotten by which group of young people?
3. 
Q3:
1. What reason is given in the article explaining why young people are forgetting how to draw letters?
2. Why are young Chinese people forgetting how to draw letters?
3. 
Q4:
1. What piece of software is helping young people to learn how to draw letters?
2. The art of drawing letters is being encouraged thanks to what software on what device?
3. 
Q5:
1. What is the name of the purchasing agent in the story?
2. What is the purchasing agent in the story called?
3. 
Q6:
1. What is Yin Liang's age?
2. How old is Yin Liang?
3. 
Q7:
1. The handwriting ability on phones has been available for how much time?
2. When did the handwriting ability become available on phones?
3. 
Q8:
1. Which piece of technology made the handwriting ability popular?
2. The handwriting ability became popular on which pieced of technology?
3. 
