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When people think of great painters, names like Picasso and Van Gogh often come to mind. However, China has produced artists whose works are equally powerful. Among them, Qi Baishi stands out as one of the most beloved painters in Chinese history.
Qi Baishi was born in 1864 in a small village in Hunan Province. His family was poor, so he had little formal education. As a child, he worked as a woodcutter to help support his family. Yet even in those hard times, he found joy in drawing. He used sticks to sketch animals and plants in the dirt. Nature became his first teacher.
In his twenties, Qi Baishi learnt seal carving and traditional painting. He spent years copying the works of old masters. But he did not stop there. He believed that true art must come from life. He began to paint the simple things around him—shrimp, crabs, flowers and insects. His brushwork was bold yet delicate, capturing the living spirit of each subject.
Qi's breakthrough came late in life. At the age of fifty-five, he moved to Beijing. There, he developed his unique style. He used bright colours and simple shapes. His paintings looked childlike but carried deep meaning. "The wonder of my work lies between likeness and unlikeness," he once said. People were drawn to the freshness and energy in his art.
Today, Qi Baishi's works are treasured worldwide. A single painting can sell for millions of dollars. But his true legacy is showing us that beauty exists in ordinary things. You do not need grand themes to create great art. A shrimp swimming in water can be as moving as a mountain landscape.
() 5. Why did young Qi Baishi draw in the dirt?
A. Because he had no paper or brushes.
B. Because he wanted to become famous.
C. Because his teacher asked him to.
D. Because the dirt was easier to clean.
() 6. What does the underlined word "delicate" in paragraph 3 mean?
A. Rough and heavy.
B. Soft and detailed.
C. Dark and unclear.
D. Loud and colourful.
() 7. What can we learn from Qi Baishi's words in paragraph 4?
A. Good art should look exactly like real life.
B. The best paintings are those of children.
C. True art balances reality and imagination.
D. Artists should paint only simple subjects.
() 8. What is the writer's main purpose in writing this passage?
A. To compare Chinese and Western painters.
B. To introduce the life and art of Qi Baishi.
C. To explain why shrimp paintings are valuable.
D. To teach readers how to paint like Qi Baishi.