The roots of traditional Chinese painting can date back to the paintings on ancient pottery, such as figures of animals, plants and dances, 6000-7000 years old. Since similar tools and lines were used     1     the earliest painting and writing, Chinese painting     2    (say) to have the same origin as calligraphy. Thus, Chinese painting has an outstanding characteristic—poetry or calligraphy is used in paintings, giving people a keener enjoyment of     3     (beautiful).

Many murals (壁画), paintings     4    (do) on walls or decorative paintings, can be seen in tombs of the Han, Tang and other     5    (dynasty). Gu Kaizhi, a famous painter of the Jin Dynasty, was good at     6    (present) historical themes. The Tang painter, Wu Daozi, was an expert at figure and scenes painting. The Tang painters, Li Sixun and Li Zhaodao,     7     were father and son, used minerals to paint scenery. Flower-and-bird painting is also an important type of traditional Chinese painting.

Contemporary painters have specialties. Some only paint figures of ladies, and some only paint animals,     8     even one kind of animal. As a result, the more they paint, the     9    (good) their paintings become. Exhibitions of the Chinese painting have been being held     10    (active). Art galleries around the world hold such exhibitions year in, year out.

It is difficult to fathom (彻底了解) the importance of the arts when there are many more    1    (press) and immediate concerns to face. But at the same time, should we only concern    2    with survival and attending to our basic needs, then we are no better off than the poorest of poor countries    3    our economic achievements today.

Life    4    (mean) to be lived after all, not just survived. Whether in music or literature, painting or architecture, art is    5    gives soul to our otherwise routine existence. In fact, art should be around us, not in museums. It should be reflected in our landscape and our buildings.

It is far more important for us to let our kids, our future,    6    (know) that art is neither frivolous nor superfluous. We need to show them    7    art is more than pleasant pictures or soothing music.

Art is innovation at its most basic level. Art is conception and inspiration. Most importantly, art is about discovery, not mistakes. In a world where we concentrate on what is right and wrong, what is correct and incorrect, the world of art is a place where judgment is suspended and great discoveries are made    8    it.

Art makes it possible to grasp    9    impossible, for lack of language, lack of knowledge or lack of technology. Consider further that art connects us to one another    10    language and law are unable to do so.