TEXT 1. My Free TIME

UNIT III. LEISURE. PASTIME ACTIVITIES

I. READING & DISCUSSION.

TEXT 1. My Free TIME

For us, school leavers, the question of spending free time is quite disputable. Apart from everyday preparation for our classes at school we have to spend much time on getting ready for the entrance examinations to universities.

It's a time and effort taking process which leaves almost no place recreation. So you have to plan your weekends carefully to escape the school routine and have a short rest.

Actually I have only one full day off which is Sunday. A bit longer periods may be two-or-three day holidays and summer vacations. My weekend usually starts on Saturday afternoon which I enjoy most of all. During the school week I get so tired that I allow myself to relax. People say "Who knows how to work, knows how to rest". In fact it depends on many factors: your personality, season and even weather. When I am exhauststed I feel happy sitting peacefully in front of the TV. Often I fill my time by reading. I can spend an evening on my own listening to music and enjoying privacy. Sometimes my friend Olga comes to me for a chat and that's a great fun too. If the weather is fine we may get out into the open air and stay out-of-doors for some time.

Sunday is a full day off. I get up later than usual and make my usual round of duties. It includes helping my mother about the house and doing a little of homework. I try to catch up with all the work I am too busy to do during the week. If I want to make this day special I do something interesting. An ideal day off for me and for most young people is going to the countryside for a picnic. I enjoy spending time with friends or relatives speaking with people who are close and dear to me. In general I'm not a big home-sitter. I adore parties. It's a terrific opportunity to meet new people.

Many young people today prefer active holidays. They take different sports which help them keep fit, beat stress and negative emotions. As for me I like swimming. I used to train twice a day until I was twelve. But now I haven't got any spare time to take it up seriously. Still sometimes I go to the swimming pool with my friends. Some of my friends are art lovers. They attend concert halls, exhibitions, enjoy world famous paintings, rare sculptures, visit theatres regularly, I am not a great theatregoer but I don't mind watching an exciting play, a beautiful ballet or a talented opera. For example, last month when I was in St. Petersburg I went to see a new production of Hamlet at Mariinsky Opera House and enjoyed it greatly.

During the summer holidays people have a greater variety of things to do. You can travel all over the country by car, plain, train, sea or on foot. In my opinion, the best and the most interesting way of travelling is by car. It's very convenient: you needn't reserve your tickets and carry heavy suitcases. You can enjoy the passing scenery and the wild beauty of nature through the window. You can stop wherever you wish and spend at any place as much time as you like.

Every year my family and I go to the Naroch or to the Black Sea by car. There are many rest-homes, sanatoriums and tourist camps there we usually rent a room or a furnished house for a couple of weeks. Sometimes we place ourselves in a tent on the sea shore enjoying fresh air and the sun all day long. As a rule I make new friends there. We swim, sunbathe, play different games. In the evening I like to sit on the beach watching the sea and enjoying the sunset.

To finish with I'd like to say that I sincerely hope that after my school and entrance exams I'll sign with relief and be able to relax to the fun and enjoy every minute of my free time. Then I'll get a more detailed idea of what free time is.

Headings

A. The most suitable place for family holiday.

B. A quite disputable question.

C. Season of a greater variety of things to do.

D. Passive kinds of rest.

E. Sunday, a great Sunday!

F. Who knows how to work, knows how to rest.

G. Preferences of young people. I. My leasure activities.

1. Ask your partner the following questions to find out about his/her leisure activities.

1. Which day of the week do you like best and why?

2. What time do you get up on Sunday?

3. What is your hobby?

4. What do you do in your spare time apart from watching TV?

5. What are the most popular leisure activities in your family?

6. What does your weekend activities depend on?

7. Do you often go to the country on your days off?

8. What are the best places around Gomel/your native town?

9. With whom do you prefer to spend free time, your friends or parents?

10. What are your family eating habits on Sundays?

11. Do you sometimes go to the theatre/cinema/fitness club on Sundays?

12. Do you like music? What kind of music do you prefer to listen?

13. Do you go to the cinema? What films do you prefer to watch?

14. Do you do sports in your pastime? What sport do you do?

15. Is there a recreation centre in your place?

16. How do you plan to spend your next day off?

2. Tell your partner about your spare time using phrases from the language box and taking into account the points listed:

- ways of spending your free time

- how young people relax

- alone or with friends

- sports for pleasure

- hobby and your free time

Positive	Negative
1. To tell you the truth, I think I prefer stamp collecting to gardening. 2. Personally, I like reading better than watching TV. 3. On balance, I'd prefer to listen to some good music rather than play the piano. 4. Given the choice, I'd sooner watch a video than go to the cinema.	5. I don't like skating at all. I like skiing far better. 6. Television doesn't really hold my interest. I'd much rather go to the theatre. 7. I'm afraid pottery isn't my cup of tea. I prefer sculpting. 8. I don't think I'd fancy that. However, embroidery might be nice.

3. Complete the following stories about your most exciting weekend / holiday turning it into a comedy, adventure, detective or love story.

a) At breakfast the family decides how to spend the day. As usual, they can't agree. Mr. Davies and Paul want to go to a football match, while Mrs. Davies and Veronica would rather spend the day in town buying souvenirs (they are on holiday, staying in a hotel). In the end they split up and go separately...

b) My last holiday was a disaster! The food was bad, the weather was nasty, the hotel was being built. There was no water in the pool, Iwas lonely, etc. But the holiday was cheap, it was winter, it was a new resort, there few people, etc.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-30