China is widely known for its ancient civilization     1     has continued all the way through into modern times. There are many reasons why this has been possible.

At the beginning, written Chinese was     2     picture-based language. Ancient Chinese people carved     3    （ symbol） on animal bones and shells. By the Shang Dynasty, a well-developed writing system had come into being. At that time, people lived in different places,    4     （ lead） to many varieties of dialects and characters.

Emperor Qinshihuang united the seven major states into one country where the Chinese writing system began to develop     5    one direction. The writing system was of great     6    （important） in uniting the Chinese people and culture. Even today, wherever Chinese people live or whatever dialect they speak, they can communicate    7     （free） in writing.

Written Chinese has also become an important means by which China's present is connected with    8    （it） past. People in modern times can read classic works that    9    （write） by Chinese in ancient times. The high regard for the Chinese writing system can be seen in the development of Chinese characters as an art form,    10    （ know） as Chinesecalligraphy, which has become an important part of Chinese culture. Today, the Chinese writing system is still an important part of Chinese culture.