1 . John Myatt is an artist. He may not be the greatest artist in the world, but he is possibly the world’s greatest forger (伪造者). He is able to paint pictures in the style of famous artists like Monet and Matisse.

    1     This unusual skill got Myatt into a lot of trouble in the 1990s. For many years he taught art at a secondary school, but then he got divorced (离婚) and he gave up his job to spend more time with his children. In order to make some money he started painting pictures in the style of famous artists and selling them.

    2     He was honest about his work—he wrote his name on the back, and he sold them for ￡150 each. However, one of his customers, John Drewe, started to resell Myatt’s paintings as genuine, original works. Drewe had sold one of Myatt’s paintings for￡25,000. He contacted Myatt and suggested that they go into business together. Myatt agreed. He continued to paint and Drewe sold his paintings to art collectors around the world.     3    

The amazing thing is that Myatt painted his pictures with decorator’s paint.     4     But it soon came to an end. Drewe was divorced too, and his ex-wife found out about the forgeries. She went to the police and they arrested Dewe and Myatt. At their trial Drewe was sent to prison for six years and Myatt for less than one year.

    5     When he came out he started to produce pictures in the style of famous artists again. But he put his name on the back, as he’d done before he met Drewe. Myatt is now famous and instead of charging￡150 for a painting, he can charge￡40-50,000.

2 . Matilda Browne (1869-1947) was a successful artist in the early 20th century. Unfortunately, few people know her name or her art today.

Matilda Browne showed promising artistic talent early in her life. Growing up in Newark, New Jersey, she got an introduction to art by watching her neighbor, painter Thomas Moran. Her parents supported their budding young artist.     1    And it paid off. Matilda Browne participated in her first major exhibition when she was just twelve years old.

Browne loved to paint animals, especially cows and other animals.     2     Her bold brushwork gave her paintings a live appearance. Her style is best described as Impressionism.

Matilda Browne quickly became a respected and successful artist. Her list of honours opened doors that would have been otherwise inaccessible for a female artist of her time. As an adult, she moved to Connecticut, where she painted in Old Lyme.     3    She even had the honor of painting a door of their workshop. Some sources say that her good sense of humor helped her fit in with the boys, while others claim that her seriousness is what won them over.     4    

Browne was a successful artist throughout her life. She won numerous awards and exhibited in many important shows. However, very few people know about her today. This is a more common story for female artists than one might think. So, why has Browne faded into being unknown?     5    She was American, while books about American Impressionists tend to focus on the male artists.

3 . According to Michael Gelb, the author of ‘Think Like Da Vinci’, any living person can bring out their inner Da Vinci by committing themselves to several ‘Da Vincian’ principles.

According to Gelb, although not everyone is born with the gifts and the abilities of Leonardo Da Vinci, it is possible for any person to use the fundamentals of Da Vinci’s approach to learning to guide us to toward the realization of our own full potential.     1    

Leonardo possessed an intense curiosity about the world around him. It was this undiscouraged curiosity that began in childhood and continued throughout his life that drove Leonardo into becoming one of the greatest thinker’s humanity.     2     Quite the contrary, Leonardo was a man of action, possessing an unstoppable determination in pursuit of knowledge.

The young Leonardo loved nature. Leonardo would wonder around the Tuscany countryside asking questions he did not himself yet understand. Questions such as: Why shells exist on the tops of mountains alongside seaweed usually found in the sea. Why lightning is visible whereas thunder is not and takes a longer time to travel.     3     His questions took him under the water (he designed a snorkel as well as diving equipment and even a submarine) and into the sky (he also invented flying machines and a parachute).     4     Gelb recommends a series of exercises which include:

Keeping a journal or notebook – Leonardo always carried a notebook with him so that he could jot down ideas, thoughts, impressions and observations as they occurred.

Asking questions - Making a list of a hundred questions in your notebook on any given topic that comes into your head.

Be willing to make lots of mistakes – Leonardo was not afraid to make mistakes and appear foolish.

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4 . Cayce Zavaglia is an artist with a unique transformation to her work.    1    Painting with tiny needles is not as fast as painting with a brush.    2    It takes two months-nearly 200 hours to complete a portrait.

    3    Once she decides, she invites that person to her studio and takes hundreds of photographs. She studies the way the light falls across the person's face. After many hours of studying the photos, she chooses the perfect one for her portrait. Next, she enlarges the photo on a canvas(画布). Then, she matches the colors in the photo and the stitching begins.

Cayce starts with the hair and forehead, then moves on to the shoulders and clothing, and finally the face. The human face is what she most enjoys creating in her art.    4    In a portrait of her baby daughter, the skin appears soft and smooth. In a portrait of her dad, the stitches show a wrinkled and aging face.

Cayce believes her success depends on three things: her choice of colors, the length and direction of the stitches, and her ability to make the portrait look true. She loves the surprise when people view her art. From a distance, people believe the portraits are painted.    5    

5 . With smiling eyes, a quick wit and a good sense of humor, Jia Ling has long been a well-known female comedian.     1    

Jia, 39, starred in and directed the film, Hi, Mom, which by Feb 23^rd has earned more than 4 billion yuan. Jia became the top box office grossing female director in China and is on the path to becoming an international name in the filmmaking industry.     2    

One factor may be her passion for comedy. Jia graduated from Beijing's Central Academy of Drama in 2003. In the last 18 years she has performed crosstalk in various competitions and shows. She has also played comedic roles in many comedies on the big screen,     3     Showing her keen sense of comedy, Jia ensured that Hi, Mom hit home for those who needed a laugh. For example, when Shen Guanglin goes on a date with Li Huanying, Shen suffers from a case of diarrhea （腹泻）,leading to an awkward and humorous scene.

    4     Apart from funny scenes, Hi, Mom focuses on the pure and sincere relationship between mother and daughter. It was regarded as a "heartwanning comedy"   by Hollywood Reporter. China's New Year box office tends to reward titles with broad family fun - and sentimentality （多愁善感）rarely hurts.     5