It is relevant, as reading for American 15-year-olds DOES mean deciphering spelling. Odd anecdote: this became notable in the recent hyped Zimmerman trial when

It is relevant, as reading for American 15-year-olds DOES mean deciphering spelling. Odd anecdote: this became notable in the recent hyped Zimmerman trial when a 19yo witness couldn't read a letter she claimed to have written - it was in cursive. The usefulness of cursive (as an obsolete notation) aside, any high schooler should at least be able to read it, and any witness should be able to read any standard script. As for Shanghai, I have to wonder if the cost of living in some areas necessitates literacy more than other areas. If you can't read, you can't produce value commensurate with the high price of existing there: survival dictates read or get out.