ReferenceNotesUnit3LeisureActivitiesReadingFocusWhyHarry’sHotInformationNotes1.ThispassageistakenfromNewsweekexploringtheunderlyingreasonswhytheHarryPotterseriesbooksmakehugesuccess.Thepassageislargelyargumentative,involvingtheauthor'spersonalideasabouttheHarryPotterbooks.Itisamodelessayinitself.Studentsareabletolearnhowtowriteanargumentativeessayonthegroundsofaparticularphenome-non.Thepassgehasatypicallythree-partanatomythatiseasilyrecognizedinanargumentativeessay.ItstartswiththeindisputablefactthattheHarryPotterbookscapturetheatten-tionofanamazinglylargeaudience,althoughtheyareconfrontedwithchallengesbysomeparentsandconservativereligiousleaders.TheydisapproveoftheHarryPotterbooksbecausetheythinkthatthesebooksadvocatewitchcraft.ThentheauthormakeshisowncommentsontheHarryPotterbooks,includingtheirmeritsanddemerits.Finally,theauthorarrivesataconclusionthatthereiseveryreasontosaythatHarryPotterpossessesalltheearmarksofaclassic.2.Joanne"Jo"Murray,OBE(1965—),whowritesunderthepennameJ.K.Rowling,isaBritishauthorbestknownasthecreatoroftheHarryPotterfantasyseries,theideaforwhichwasconceivedwhileonatraintripfromManchestertoLondonin1990.ThePotterbookshavegainedworldwideattention,wonmultipleawards,andsoldmorethan400millioncopies.,AsidefromwritingthePotternovels,Rowlingisperhapsequallyfamousforher"ragstoriches"lifestory,inwhichsheprogressedfromlivingonwelfaretomulti-millionairestatuswithinfiveyears.The2008SundayTimesRichListestimatedRowling'sfortuneat￡560million($798million),rankingherasthe12thrichestwomaninBritain.ForbesrankedRowlingasthe48thmostpowerfulcelebrityof2007,andTimemagazinenamedherasarunner-upforits2007PersonoftheYear,notingthesocial,moral,andpoliticalinspirationshehasgivenherfandom.Shehasbecomeanotablephilanthropist,supportingsuchcharitiesasComicRelief,OneParentFamilies,MultipleSclerosisSocietyofGreatBritain,andtheChildren'sHighLevelGroup.3.HarryPotterisaseriesofsevenfantasynovelswrittenbyBritishauthorJ.K.Rowling.Sincethe1997releaseofthefirstnovelHarryPotterandthePhilosopher’sStone,whichwasretitiedHarryPotterandtheSorcerer’sStoneintheUnitedStates,thebookshavegainedimmensepopularity,criticalacclaimandcommercialsuccessworldwide.AsofJune2008,thebookserieshassoldmorethan400millioncopiesandhasbeentranslatedinto67languages,andthelastfourbookshaveconsecutivelysetrecordsasthefastest-sellingbooksinhistory.Sofar,thebookseriesincludessevenbooks,includingHarryPotterandtheSorcerer~Stone,HarryPotterandtheChamberofSecrets,HarryPotterandthePrisonerofAzkaban,HarryPotterandtheGobletofFire,HarryPotterandtheOrderofthePhoenix,HarryPotterandtheHalf-BloodPrince,HarryPotterandtheDeathlyHallows.4.MichaelPatrickHearnisanAmericanliteraryscholarandoneofAmerica'sleadingmenoflettersspecializinginchildren'sliteratureanditsillustration.HisworksincludeTheAnnotatedWizardofOz,TheAnnotatedChristmasCarol,andTheAnnotatedHuckleberryFinn.5.TheWizardofOz《绿野仙踪》isachildren'sbookwrittenin1900byL.FrankBaum.ItwasoriginallypublishedbytheGeorgeM.HillcompanyinChicago,andhassincebeenreprintedcountlesstimes.ThestorychroniclestheadventuresofagirlnamedDorothyinthelandofOz.Itisoneofthebest-knownstoriesinAmericanpopularcultureandhasbeenwidelytranslated.ItsinitialsuccessledtoBaum'swritingandhavingpublished13moreOzbooks.6.StevenSpielberg(1946—)isanAmericanfilmdirector,screenwriterandfilmproducer.Inacareerofoverfou...