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The students have also warmed many hearts on social media platforms, with hashtags about their achievements receiving billions of views on Sina Weibo.
One netizen commenting about Zhou said those who have experienced the most difficulties work the hardest and receive the best rewards. Another netizen said, "As long as you do not give up on yourself, the world will not fail you."
Commenting on Zhang's high grades in the zhongkao, The Beijing News said it is not unusual for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to score well in entrance exams, and their success is valuable, as it fuels belief in the importance of strong commitment and unremitting efforts.
The newspaper said that although students have different levels of ability and it is hard to achieve as many full scores in exams as Zhang did, her attitude in facing challenges head-on is a valuable lesson for everyone.
Many netizens willing to offer support asked the government to give the students more help.
