A.
The simplest way of putting an idea down on paper is to draw a picture. That was (61) men first began to write, six thousand years ago or more. All (62) scripts (文字) have been developed from picture-writing of (63) sort. The English alphabet we now use (64) to us over a long period of time from the (65) of ancient Egypt.
B.
Picture-writing, called hieroglyphics (象形文字), could be used to express (66) as well as objects. (67) , a drawing of a man would (68) the object "man", while (69) of a man lying on the ground (70) a spear in him would mean the idea "death". Later, some drawings came to stand for sounds as well. (71) in Egyptian hieroglyphics the (72) of a house stood (73) for the object "house" and for the sound "pr", (74) in spoken Egyptian meant "house".
C.
(75) the Egyptians, the Chinese and the American Indians also developed their own kinds of picture-writing. However, with picture-writing, only (76) much could be said. Much more (77) to be left unsaid. It would have (78) hundreds of thousands of pictures to express (79) people wanted to express (80) a person could ever hope to learn in a life-time.