Тексты и тесты по теме «Хобби. Свободное время» помогут вам активизировать свой словарный запас по теме «Hobby. Free time».
Text «Hobby and Free Time»
As a rule, in their free time people like to entertain or amuse themselves.
They can arrange a party or go out, for example, go to a disco or some club. Generally they do it to have fun or to have a good time.
When people have nothing to do they easily get bored. As a rule, boredom is an awful state which can lead to depression. That is why it is necessary to get yourself occupied.
Well, sometimes concerned parents try to make their children be occupied all time. That is why schoolchildren don’t have much free time. But if they have, they usually spend it indoors playing computer games or chatting in the net. They can do it for hours.
Some years ago people had a lot of hobbies. Have a look at the list of hobbies of your parents.
Полный список видов хобби на английском
Test №1 «Hobbies and Pastimes»
Вставьте в пропуск пропущенное слово.
Text «Knitting»
Knitting is a hobby which used to be very popular.
Nowadays women prefer buying clothes because they cost so little. But hand knitting is still fashionable. Do you know why?
There is no doubt that the process of knitting calms. And it is the first reason. Second, creative women enjoy inventing different knitting patterns. Besides, the fact that a self-made sweater or a pullover is unique, makes its creator proud.
Although learning to knit is not so easy, it is worth taking pains as it can be very useful leisure activity for a woman.
Test №2 «Hobbies and Pastimes»
Список английских слов intermediate по теме «Hobby. Free time.» (Свободное время. Хобби»), , текст про хобби и упражнения для активизации лексики.
Hobby and Free Time. Список английских слов №2 (intermediate)
Упражнение 1. Прочитайте небольшой текст про хобби. Ответьте на вопрос: «What is a hobby?»
Hobby (text in English)
People have hobbies for pleasure. It is what people do for interest and enjoyment, rather for financial reward. It can be collecting, making different things, doing sports or getting further education in your favourite subject. Engaging in a hobby can lead to acquiring substantial skills, knowledge and experience.
What are hobbies for some people are professions for others: a game tester may enjoy cooking as a hobby, while a professional chef might enjoy playing computer games.
Упражнение 2. Переведите текст про хобби на английский язык
Что такое хобби? Это то, что люди любят делать в свободное время. Хобби бывает разным, так как вкусы у людей разные. Самые популярные хобби — это коллекционирование, изготовление поделок своими руками, рисование, садоводство и многое другое.
Несколько лет назад самым популярным хобби было коллекционирование пластинок (records), открыток (postcards) или наклеек (labels). Сейчас как дети, так и взрослые увлекаются игрой в компьютерные игры. Еще одно распространенное хобби — это фотографирование. Многие люди размещают фотографии в социальные сетях и собирают лайки. Садоводство и выращивание цветов, — любимое хобби тех, кто любит природу. Кстати, это самое распространенное хобби в Англии.
Существует мнение, что хобби помогает детям выбрать будущую профессию. Как вы думаете, верно ли это? Вы помните, чем вы увлекались в детстве? А кем вы работаете сейчас?
Упражнение 3. Cоставьте свой небольшой монолог по теме «Мое хобби» («My Hobby and Free Time»).
The way we spend our free time can tell a lot about us. Only when we do things we truly like we can achieve the inner balance and peace in our souls.
Some people consider spending time with their family as the best way to relax. That’s true we can do so many interesting things together. You can go to the museums or theaters, cafes and restaurants together. You can get together and drive to the country side or even fly to a different country.
A lot of people have a hobby that they dedicate all their free time to. It’s often something creative like painting, music or some handcraft. There’re also sports related hobbies like skiing, surfing, diving or dancing.
Some activities can be so unique and extraordinary that not everyone can understand why a person likes it so much. For example, collecting. It’s a unique hobby because you can basically collect anything and everything. No necessarily stamps. It can be old coins or tea boxes, sauces, toy pandas or insects.
Sometimes people have a hobby that is not for pleasure but also helps them to make a living.On the one hand it’s great that their work makes them happy. But on the other hand we should always keep something for ourself. Something that will help us to relax and enjoy our life.
То, как мы проводим свое свободное время, может многое рассказать о нас. Только занимаясь любимым делам, человек способен полностью проявить свою индивидуальность и почувствовать подлинную гармонию в душе.
Есть те, кто считает лучшим досугом общение с любимыми людьми. И это действительно прекрасно, ведь вместе можно делать столько удивительных вещей. Можно гулять, посещать культурные мероприятия, кафе и рестораны. А можно собраться и веселой компанией уехать загород или даже улететь заграницу.
У многих людей также есть хобби, которому они посвящают свое свободное время. Любимое занятие часто бывает творческим, таким, как, например, музыка, живопись или рукоделие. Но существуют и спортивные хобби: горные лыжи, серфинг, борьба, дайвинг или попросту танцы.
Некоторые увлечения могут быть настолько интересны и необычны, что не каждому дано понять, почему они так нравятся человеку. Например, коллекционирование. Это удивительное хобби, в первую очередь потому, что коллекционировать можно совершенно разные вещи. Это могут быть не только почтовые марки, старинные монеты или открытки, но и, скажем, жестяные коробочки от чая, соусы, игрушечные панды или даже экзотические насекомые.
Иногда любимое дело становится для человека не просто хобби, но и способом его заработка на жизнь. С одной стороны, это очень хорошо, ведь тогда работа всегда бывает в радость. С другой же стороны, у каждого из нас обязательно должно оставаться что-то для себя. Что-то, что позволит нам отдохнуть после тяжелого трудового дня, забыть обо всех проблемах и неприятностях и получить подлинное удовольствие от жизни.
В топике Хобби, досуг – я поделюсь своими мыслями, что такое досуг и хобби. Как я понимаю, досуг – это свободное время, не занятое работой или другим делом, или отдельные моменты свободного времени, промежутки между работой. В настоящее время люди работают целый день и у них очень мало свободного времени, чтобы отдохнуть и делать то, что им нравится. Этим свободным временем надо правильно распорядиться, чтобы не чувствовать себя скучно. Я советую всем завести себе увлечение или хобби, то есть вид деятельности, некое занятие, которым можно
заняться на досуге, для наслаждения. Увлечение – то, чем человек любит и с радостью готов заниматься в свое свободное время. Увлечение является хорошим способом борьбы со стрессом или гневом. Кроме того, увлечения зачастую помогают развить кругозор. Основная цель увлечений – помочь самореализоваться. Увлечения бывают активными: спорт, танцы, экстрим и т. д.; или можно выбрать “спокойные”, “домашние” хобби: занятия музыкой, изучение иностранных языков, чтение, рукоделие, коллекционирование, кулинария и т. п. Лично я предпочитаю и активные виды спорта, и спокойное времяпрепровождение. Я считаю, что то, как люди проводят свое свободное время, зависит от уровня общей культуры и социального статуса человека. Я не могу представить себе человека, у которого нет никаких
увлечений и любимых занятий, потому что это действительно невозможно. Наши увлечения и привычки “делают” нашу жизнь, наполняя ее многообразием чувств и эмоций.
Leisure or free time is a period of time spent out of work and domestic activity. It is also the period of recreational time before or after compulsory activities such as eating and sleeping, going to work or running a business, attending school and doing homework or housework. Leisure time is the time when you can forget about day-to-day stress and stressful activities and relax. These activities can be our hobby.
Nowadays people work all day long and rarely have spare time to rest and to do something they like. But if they have it they try to spend it in the way they prefer. And there are a lot of possibilities to do it perfect. There are plenty of things to do that can help you not to feel bored. Any activity is much better than doing nothing.
I’d like to notice that there are two main ways of spending free time: the one is to do some physical activities (often outdoors), for example, football, swimming, hockey, skiing; and another way is to enjoy something relaxing at home or in special places: reading, watching TV, knitting, engaging in hand-made. At any rate, hobby is a matter of taste, and everybody should choose it according to the personal preferences.
As for me, I like to pass my leisure time both in active and passive way. I really enjoy reading or watching films, because it’s always interesting, helpful and helps to relax, what is especially necessary after a long tiring day. Also I am fond of active sports, swimming, skiing or riding a bike from time to time, when it is possible. Sometimes you feel you need to escape from everyday worries and to do something no thought-provoking. In many cases I can’t let me doing anything very extraordinary, so I just go walking over long distances. It really helps to release the tension and refresh the mind.
To the point, the way how people pass their free time depends on the culture and social status. For example, American favorite leisure activity now is participating in experiences that they know aren’t real, they turn to imagination – to worlds created by others, such as books, games, movies and television. Also public researches show that the average amount of weekly free time of many people fell; while the average amount of time spent working is now up. It can be explained by the fact of extra time spent on mobile phones or computers, and infrastructure development (the problem of traffic gems in big cities). As well, preferences of people to spend their time have also changed over the past years: instead of team activities more and more people choose solo activities.
Anyway, in the life of any person there are periods of time when he feels extremely bored. It happens because this person doesn’t know what to do with his time and can’t find anything interesting to do, or because he doesn’t like what he is doing. Well, this problem has hundreds ways of solution. The simplest is to find something interesting to do. Here are some variants of activities to choose: – Just tidy up; – Try new recipes; – Decide on making candles, knitting, cross snitching – in one word, create something new you can be proud of; – Don’t let online games dominate in your life; – Photography, drawing, painting, playing musical instruments are very special activities that you can do as a cure for boredom; – Communicate more with other interesting people; – Read something exiting, encouraging, or anything that will enrich your knowledge; – Join a health club or gum where you will be able to feel happy and keep fit; – Go out with you friends; – Set your aims and keep a diary.
As we all know, leisure time is one of the most important thing people can’t live without. It is a big part of our life, and it actually shows the character and temper of person. I can’t imagine a person who doesn’t have any hobbies and favorite activities, because it is really impossible. Our hobbies and habits make our lives, filling it up with variety of feelings and emotions. Each person chooses his own way of spending time, either active of passive, and in any case it should be a refreshment and a source of inspiration.
Some people say that it is very important for everybody to have a hobby. Others do nothing but watch TV or listen to music in their free time. Our lives would be hard without rest and recreation. People have quite different ideas of how to spend their free time. For some of them the only way to relax is watching TV or drinking beer. But other people use their spare time getting maximum benefit from it. I strongly feel that hobbies make our lives much more interesting. There are different kinds of hobbies such as reading, cooking, knitting, collecting, playing a musical instrument, painting, photography, dancing, travelling, sports and many others. So you can always find an exciting activity which you will certainly like. Personally, I am fond of camping. To my mind, it is a great opportunity to get away from town life. What is more, camping is a cheap way to rest, to improve your health, to train yourself physically and to enjoy nature. Nevertheless, quite a lot of
people have no hobby. Most of them say that they are too busy or too tired to do anything in their free time. But I am sure that such people are lazy and passive and their lives are dull and uneventful. In general, having a hobby is very important for everybody because it is a kind of self-expression and the way to understand other people and the whole world. A hobby makes you stronger physically and mentally, helps you escape from reality, improve your knowledge, broaden your mind, develop your skills and gain a better understanding of how the world works.
Many teenagers enjoy playing computer games. Some people, however, believe that teenagers should spend their free time doing more physical activities. Computer games are extremely popular nowadays. A lot of teenagers play computer games in order to escape dull reality and to fight with horrible monsters or to save the world from hostile aliens. Personally, I am fond of playing computer games. They give me an opportunity to plunge into exciting adventures: to overcome obstacles, to fly an aircraft or to pilot a spacecraft, to solve different puzzles, to look after a virtual pet, to build cities, to play sport games and even to control the lives of people. Computer games are constantly becoming more life-like and complex. New styles and genres appear. That’s why I can’t resist the temptation to buy new computer games every
month. But according to experts, computer games can be rather dangerous and they can harm teenagers’ health. They say that computer games make young people unsociable and passive. They are absorbed in games without speaking to each other for a long time. A lot of teenagers can play for hours without eating, sleeping or learning. They sit in front of the computer screen exercising their fingers instead of doing physical activities. That’s why the levels of obesity among teenagers are rising. Besides, computer games cause addiction. To conclude, computer games have both advantages and disadvantages. Violent computer games make teenagers aggressive. But educational games help teenagers develop many skills. Anyway, it is necessary not to forget about sports as it helps teenagers to be healthy and to stay in good shape.
Some people prefer eating out. However, many people still like cooking meals at home. Different people have different tastes. Some of them prefer eating out, while others enjoy tasty food at home. In the past people went to cafes and restaurants only on special occasions. But they are eating out more frequently now. Personally, I enjoy eating out. Firstly, the choice of restaurants is great nowadays. You can try different foreign cuisines and you can always find something to your taste. There are Italian, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Mexican, Turkish and many other restaurants in every city. Besides, you can go to bars, cafes or pubs. Secondly, many people work too much and have no time to cook meals at home. Thirdly, they go to bars, cafes or restaurants to meet with their friends or to celebrate a holiday. Finally, at a restaurant you will be able to relax and enjoy tasty food, good service and the atmosphere of festivity. However, a lot of people prefer eating at home. Some of them say that it is too expensive to go to a restaurant. Others just enjoy cooking meals. What is more, some people are sure that home meals are tastier and more nutritious than food which is served at a restaurant or a cafe. To sum up, eating at home is cheaper and more traditional. But if you want to relax and to feel a holiday atmosphere, you will certainly eat out.
Ecotourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the tourism industry today. Some people think that it teaches tourists to take care of nature and wildlife. Others say that ecotourism has a number of disadvantages. Environmental pollution has disastrous effects on nature and wildlife. That is why nowadays many people try to damage the environment as little as possible. Ecotourism means travelling to natural destinations with rare flora and fauna. Its main goal is to conserve the environment and to improve the well-being of local people. In my opinion, ecotourism gives us an opportunity to broaden our mind, to discover new ways of life, to meet interesting people and to improve our knowledge of history and geography It provides funds for conservation and jobs to local people because tourists use local transportation, inns and markets. Besides, ecotourism helps people understand the environment around them, makes them respect different cultures and be careful with nature. However, ecotourism has some negative aspects. The increasing number of tourists can damage the local environment. Some tourists pollute drinking water, pick up rare flowers and disturb wild animals. They often purchase souvenirs made from the skin of endangered animals or leaves of rare plants and scare away animals. In conclusion, I think that ecotourism is for environment-conscious people who love nature, understand the negative influence of conventional tourism on the environment and want to minimize it. I strongly feel that it is an unforgettable experience which is rewarding at the same time.
A hobby is something that people like to do when they are not busy with their usual work and have some free time. It is something being done exclusively for pleasure. Hobbies differ like tastes. If you have chosen a hobby according to your character and taste, you are lucky because your life becomes more interesting. Hobbies are divided into four large classes: doing things, making things, collecting things and learning things. The most popular of all hobby groups is doing things. It includes a wide variety of activities, everything from gardening to travelling and from chess to volleyball. Gardening is one of the oldest man’s hobbies. It is known that the English are very keen on gardening and growing flowers, especially roses. Both grown-ups and children are fond of playing different computer games. This is a relatively new hobby but it is becoming more and more popular. Making things includes drawing embroidevy, painting, making sculptures, designing
costumes, handicrafts, joinery, knitting, book binding, fret work. Two of the most famous amateur painters were President Eisenhower and Sir Winston Churchill. Some write music or play musical instruments. Ex-president of the USA Bill Clinton, for example, plays the saxophone. Almost everyone collects something at some period of hisher life: stamps, coins, matchboxes, books, records, postcards, toys, watches. Some collections have no real value. Others become so large and so valuable that they are housed in museums and galleries. Many world-famous collections started in a small way with one or two items. People with a good deal of money often collect paintings, rare books and other objects of art. Often such private collections are given to museums, libraries and public galleries so that others might take pleasure in seeing them. As far as I am concerned, I have always been fond of collecting stamps. My mother had started collecting stamps long before I was born. She gave me her six albums of stamps as a birthday present when I was twelve. Then I continued collecting stamps myself. It helped me to learn a lot about other countries and other people’s traditions, the world’s fauna and flora. I used to bring the albums to school and sometimes exchanged stamps with my schoolmates. About a year ago my parents bought me a tiny model car, and since then I decided to collect miniature
car models. I am fond of cars and car-races. Now I collect car-models from different countries and historical periods. I also try to find out everything about the new models I buy. I read specialised web-sites and try to keep up with the release of new models on Internet forums. I communicate with other people from different countriesed in car models, so I have to brush up my English. No matter what kind of hobby a person has, heshe always has the opportunity of learning from it. By reading about the things we are interested in we are adding to what we already know. Learning things can be the most exciting aspect of a hobby.
Хобби – это что-то, что люди любят делать, когда они не заняты своей обычной работой и у них есть немного свободного времени. Это что-то, что делается исключительно для удовольствия. Хобби, как и вкусы, бывают самые разные. Если вы выбрали хобби, соответствующее вашему характеру и вкусу, вам повезло, потому что ваша жизнь становится интереснее. Хобби можно разделить на четыре большие группы: заниматься чем-нибудь, изготавливать что-нибудь, собирать что-нибудь и изучать что-нибудь. Самая популярная из этих групп – заниматься чем-нибудь. Сюда входят самые разнообразные занятия – от садоводства до путешествий и от шахмат до волейбола. Одно из старейших увлечений человека – садоводство. Известно, что англичане очень увлекаются садоводством и выращиванием цветов, особенно роз. Относительно новое хобби – это компьютерные игры. Оно становится все более популярным, потому что и взрослые, и дети любят играть. Изготовление чего-нибудь включает рисование, вышивание, живопись, скульптуру, моделирование одежды и вещей ручной работы. Два известнейших художника-любителя – президент Эйзенхауэр и сэр Уинстон Черчилль. Некоторые в качестве хобби пишут музыку или играют на музыкальных инструментах. Бывший президент США Билл Клинтон, например, играет на саксофоне. Наверное, каждый в тот или иной период своей жизни что-нибудь коллекционировал: марки, монеты, спичечные коробки, книги, пластинки, открытки, игрушки, часы. Некоторые коллекции не имеют особой ценности. Другие становятся такими большими и ценными, что их помещают в музеях и галереях. Многие всемирно известные коллекции начались с малого, с одного или двух предметов. Люди, у которых много денег, собирают картины, редкие книги и другие предметы искусства. Нередко такие частные коллекции передаются в музеи, библиотеки и общественные галереи, чтобы и другие могли получить удовольствие, глядя на них. Что касается меня, я всегда любил собирать марки. Моя мать начала собирать марки задолго до моего рождения. Когда мне исполнилось двенадцать лет, она подарила мне шесть альбомов с марками. Потом я продолжал собирать марки самостоятельно. Это помогло мне многое узнать о других странах и традициях других народов, о растительном и животном мире. Я обычно приносил альбомы в школу и иногда обменивался марками с одноклассниками. Примерно год назад мои родители купили мне маленькую модель автомобиля, и с тех пор я решил собирать миниатюрные модели машин. Я люблю автомобили и гонки. Теперь я собираю модели машин из разных стран и разных исторических периодов. Я также стараюсь узнать все о новых моделях, которые я покупаю. Я читаю специализированные сайты и стараюсь не пропускать выпуск новых моделей. Я общаюсь с людьми из разных стран, которые интересуются моделями машин, на интернет-форумах, так что мне пришлось подучить английский. Неважно, какое у человека увлечение, у него всегда есть возможность учиться благодаря ему. Читая о вещах, которые нас интересуют, мы прибавляем это к своим знаниям. Узнавать новое – может быть, самая волнующая сторона хобби.
According to one’s taste – в соответствии с чьим-либо вкусом amateur radio operator, radio ham – радиолюбитель to be fond of – любить to be keen on – увлекаться bookbinding – переплетное дело coin – монета to devote – посвящать drawing – рисование to embroider – вышивать fretwork – выпиливание gardening – садоводство grown-up – взрослый (человек) handicraft – ремесло, рукоделие in a small way – в малом масштабе, понемногу joinery, furniture-making, woodworking – столярное дело to keep up with – быть в курсе, не отставать to knit – вязать to make something with one’s hands – делать что-то своими руками matchbox – спичечный коробок painting – живопись postcard – почтовая открытка pottery – керамика record – пластинка to sew – шить stamp – марка to take pleasure in – получать удовольствие от tiny – маленький variety of activities – разнообразные занятия, виды деятельности
Until
the 20th
century Americans had little time for leisure activities and did not
really approve of leisure. The Puritan ideal of hard work remained
strong, and leisure was associated with the “idle rich”,
sometimes called the leisure class.
Text 2. Traditional hoobbies
Traditional
indoor hobbies or
pastimes
include collecting
things, e.g. shells, model cars, dolls, comic books, stamps, coins or
postcards. Children also collect sets of picture cards from packets
of tea and small toys or models from packets of breakfast cereal.
Many collect stickers (= pictures with glue on the back) of football
or baseball players or pop stars.
Many people like to do
something creative, such as painting or drawing, playing music,
knitting or sewing
Some
people have hobbies which take them away from home. Birdwatching is
especially popular. So too is flying model aircraft. Other people go
to public record offices and churches to research their family
history. One very British hobby is trainspotting, which involves
visiting railway stations and recording the names or numbers of
trains. The range of hobbies now popular is reflected in the number
of specialist magazines available in both Britain and the US.
Sports such as football,
basketball and swimming are cheap and attract a lot of people. Golf
and sailing, which are more expensive, tend to attract wealthier
people. Tenpin bowling and ice-skating are popular social activities
among young people.
A
lot of people who are interested in sport prefer to watch others
play, either at a stadium or on television, rather than play
themselves. Baseball, football, cricket, golf and also horse racing
are regularly broadcast on television.
When a
person is not at work or at school we say that he has free time. He
can do whatever he wants, but most people prefer not to
waste their time.
They usually devote it to something interesting. They go shopping,
play sport games, read books. In big cities people spend their free
time by going to the theatre, cinema, museums, art galleries,
concert hall, fitness or disco clubs. A person can choose any of
them. But when the weather is fine, most people prefer to go for a
walk along the streets with their friends or get out of the city.
Hobby is a
favourite occupation of a person in his free time. Hobbies differ
like tastes. The most popular hobbies are: philately
and collecting different things. Everyone has the right to collect
various, even the most unusual things. People collect paintings,
stamps, match boxes, bottles, cans, buttons, books, coins, records,
etc.
Watching
TV
is also a popular leisure activity. Sometimes it is pleasant to be
entertained without leaving the apartment. People like to see all
kinds of films: comedies, tragedies, love-stories, thrillers,
westerns, war films, and cartoons.
Nowadays a
great number of new hobbies have appeared. Many people are fond of
hunting,
but not with guns. They hunt birds and animals with a camera. Both
boys and girls are fond of computer
games.
Collecting computer games and playing them has become one of the
most widely spread hobbies. Many young people like to
surf the Net.
Other teenagers go much
further. They are not satisfied with the world they are living in.
They create their own worlds. In this context Role-Playing Games
(also called RPG) should be mentioned. The players gather together
at a meeting and act as the inhabitants of the unreal world.
Young people can belong to
any group or organization according to their interests (Scouts,
Greenpeace, etc.).
If you
have chosen a hobby according
to your taste and character,
you are lucky, because your life becomes more interesting and
exciting.
Vocabulary
to
waste their time –
тратить
время
попусту
Exercise
22.
Read the text and express your own point of view on the problem of
video games.
Video games
Everybody has tried them at
least once. Sitting in front of a screen with a button or a joystick
you can make cars go very fast or move strange little green men
about as they escape from dangerous enemies.
You do it with video games,
the electronic toys which are loved by young people and adults
alike. Some people prefer space settings, others prehistoric scenes
and still others realistic situations in the present. With only a
little money an a lot of skill, you can pass several hours absorbed
in new and unexpected situations.
But, some experts say,
excessive use of these screens can be bad for your health.
And some very violent video
games are now in circulation.
So, video games can be bad
for you if you don’t limit the time you spend in front of the screen
or choose intelligent programs which don’t contain violence.
Often players forget reality
and start to live the adventures of imaginary «heroes».
However, there are also
educational video games. These can stimulate imagination or help
with the study of history, geography and natural sciences.
Exercise
23. Read
and translate the text.
