Weekend in England

Most people in Britain work a five-day week, from Monday to Friday. Schools, colleges and universities are also closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Therefore from Friday evening till Monday morning people are usually free. Everyone looks forward to the weekend and when Friday comes along, as people leave work they say to each other: “Have a nice weekend”.

Students, young people working away from home and single people in general like to go away for the weekend. They may go home, go to stay with relatives or friends in different parts of the country, or stay in a hotel or boarding house in the country or at the sea. It is, of course, more difficult for married couples with children to go away for the weekend. They do so sometimes, but as they usually have a house, they more often have people to stay.

Those who stay at home at the weekend try both to relax and to catch up with all the jobs they are too busy to do during the week. For women who go out to work these include housework, sewing, washing, shopping and sometimes gardening; for men - repairs and other odd jobs in the house, cleaning the car and gardening.

Saturday morning is a very busy time for shopping, as this is the only day when people who are at work can shop for any length of time.

On Saturday afternoon the most important events of the week take place: football, rugby, horse-racing and other sports.

Some men go and watch, others sit and watch the sports programmes on television.

Saturday evening is the favourite time for parties, dances, going to the movies or the theatre, in fact for “going out” generally. For many people it is the climax of the weekend, no one has to worry about getting up early for work next day.

Having gone to bed late at night before, many people have a lie-in on Sunday morning. When they finally get up they have a leisurely breakfast. While having breakfast people start reading the Sunday papers.

If the weather is fine, people may decide to go out for the day. Some wait till after dinner, which is at 1 or 1-30. Sunday dinner is traditionally the most important family meal of the week. People sit talking, reading the paper, watching television until tea time. In summer they sit in the garden and more energetic people go out for a walk or to see friends. Tea time is at 5 or 5-30. Besides the all-important tea there are sandwiches, cold meat and salad, fruit, bread and butter. Quite often friends are invited to Sunday tea. Some people spend evening quietly at home, others go to see friends, go to a concert or film, or go out for a drink.

Exercise 2. Choose the most popular ways of spending free time in England (mentioned in the text).

1. staying with relatives
2. house work
3. shopping
4. skating and skiing
5. watching sports programmes
6. going out
7. fishing and hunting
8. having Sunday dinner
9. hiking in the mountains
10. going to a concert or film

Дата добавления: 2015-08-20