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Unit 12 Art and literature
READING
HARRY POTTER
Welcome to the world of JK Rowling! It is a world of magic
and wonders, a world where anything can happen. Many of the
creatures in Rowling’s world are not real, and much of what
happens is strange. JK Rowling has written a series of books
about Harry Potter, a boy with a scar on his forehead and a
secret past. The books are about magic and strange creatures,
but they still tell us something about the real world.
In the first book about Harry Potter, we meet Harry before he
knows anything about magic. Harry seems like a normal boy, but
his life is miserable. His parents are dead and he lives with a
family that treats him badly. Harry is very unhappy and does not
know what to do about his life. His life changes when a bird
tells him to go to Hogwarts and become a student of witchcraft
and wizardry.
Hogwarts is an unusual school where the students learn about
magic. But for Harry, the most important lesson is about real
life, friendship and how to be brave. Harry learns more than
magic at Hogwarts. He makes new friends and learns how important
and difficult it is to be a good friend. His friends help him
when he is in trouble, but he must also be strong and help them
when they need him. Harry also learns to be brave and to do
things he used to be afraid of. He learns the truth about his
past, a dark secret that will make his life and his choices more
difficult. At Hogwarts, Harry also learns about the power of
love. The magic, many strange creatures and the adventures Harry
comes across at Hogwarts help him understand the real world.
Harry has to fight against had wizards and do the right thing.
Together with his friends, Harry learns that it is not always
easy to do what is right. You must believe in what you do and
who you are if you want to succeed in the world-the magical
world of Hogwarts and the real one. Where someone is born and
what a person looks like is not as important as what he or she
grows up to be. Two people may speak different languages, have
different habits or even come from two different worlds, but
they can still be friends if they share the same goals, hopes
and dreams. It is not enough to be strong in heart and mind; we
must also believe in ourselves and help others if we want to be
happy and live a good life.
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Reading and writing
THE QUESTION
Tom stopped. What was that noise? He put his hand on Pete’s
shoulder. “Did you hear that?” he whispered. They both listened
carefully. The noise seemed to be coming from the room behind
the statue in front of them. It sounded like a woman crying.
They looked at the statue. It was a strange creature with red
eyes-it was almost as if the creature was watching them. Tom
suddenly felt cold. He remembered what his father had told him
about the secrets of the church. He knew that the church had
many secret rooms and that not all of them were safe. If only
they could find a way to get to the room, or whatever it was,
behind the wall. The statue stood in front of the door and there
was no way they could get past it. Tom looked at the statue
again. Strange! It looked as if the creature had moved. He was
just about to say something when Pete turned around. “Tom,”he
said, “I think I know a way in.” “How?”Tom asked. “It says on
the statue that anyone who wants to enter the room must answer
the question.”“That sounds strange,”said Tom, “What question?”“I
don’t know,”Pete said, “but…”He did not have time to finish what
he was saying. The statue was moving! A deep voice came from the
strange creature, “Listen carefully. You may enter the room if
you know the answer to my question.”“What is the question?”Pete
asked.“It’s a secret,”the creature said.“A secret?”Pete
said,“That’s stupid! How can I give you an answer if the
question is a secret?”the creature spoke again,“Come here and
I’ll whisper the question in your ear. You will not remember the
question tomorrow. If your answer is right, you may enter. If
your answer is wrong, well, then you’ll be in trouble.”Pete
looked at Tom.“I’ll try,”he said. He walked up to the creature
and listened to the question. After a few minutes, he whispered
the answer in the creature’s ear. They both waited for something
to happen.“Are you sure you gave the right answer?”Tom asked.
Pete did not have time to say anything. The statue moved to the
side and the door opened up. Tom and Pete looked at each other.
Tom was scared, “I guess we have to go in.” They went past the
statue and…
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